Central California Alliance for Health | Living Healthy | June 2015

4 / 6

Rectum Colon
cancer
F ind answers about
this common
disease.
What is colorectal
cancer? Colorectal
cancer is the second
leading cancer killer
in the United States. It
affects both men and
women of all racial and
ethnic groups. Cancer
is a disease in which
cells in the body grow
out of control. When
cancer starts in the colon
or rectum, it is called
colorectal cancer. Sometimes it is
also called colon cancer for short.
What can I do to prevent
colorectal cancer? Prevention
is the key! If you are age 50 or
older, colorectal cancer screenings
should start now. Having these
regular screening tests may
prevent colorectal cancer deaths.
Early screenings can also help
find colorectal cancer at an early
stage, and treatment can often
lead to a cure. About 9 out of
every 10 people whose colorectal
cancers are found early and treated
properly are still alive five years
later.
Who is at risk for colorectal
cancer?
■ ■ Men and women of all racial and
ethnic groups are at risk.
■ ■ It is most often found in people
age 50 or older.
■ ■ Your risk increases with age.
Additional risk factors. The
risk for colorectal cancer may be
higher than average if:
■ ■ You or a close relative have had
colorectal polyps (a small clump of
cells that forms on the lining of the
colon) or colorectal cancer
■ ■ You have inflammatory bowel
disease
■ ■ You have a genetic syndrome,
such as familial adenomatous
polyposis or hereditary nonpolyposis
colorectal cancer
People at higher risk for
colorectal cancer may need earlier
or more frequent tests. Talk to your
Primary Care Provider (PCP) about
when to begin screening and how
often you should be tested.
What are the symptoms?
Some people with colorectal
polyps or colorectal cancer have
symptoms that may include:
■ ■ Blood in or on the stool (bowel
movement)
■ ■ Stomach pain, aches or cramps
that don’t go away
■ ■ Losing weight without knowing
why
If you have any of these
symptoms, talk to your PCP.
These symptoms may be caused
by something other than cancer.
But the only way to know what is
causing them is to see your PCP.
For more information, visit
www.cdc.gov/cancer/colorectal/
sfl or call 1-800-232-4636. For
TYY, call 1-888-232-6348.
Source: Colorectal Cancer Screening: Basic Fact Sheet. National Colorectal Cancer Action
Campaignand the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Vital Signs: Colorectal cancer
screening test use—United States, 2012. MMWR 2013;62(44):881–888.
Are you
at risk for
colorectal
cancer?
living healthy 4