Regularly monitoring your health is essential to living the full life you want to live. Performing a colon cancer screening is an important step to understanding your health and can even be that difference in saving a life. We took the liberty to compile answers to common questions surrounding colon cancer and encourage you to book your next appointment to complete a screening.

What is colon cancer?

The colon is the large intestine of the digestive system. It is a long tube-about 5 feet long, 3 inches wide made of blood vessels, nerves, a tissue lining, and muscle. The colon absorbs water, certain electrolytes and vitamins, and moves solid wastes-stool & feces (“poop”) from the body. Sometimes, the lining of the colon can create tiny clumps of tissue, called “polyps”. Most polyps grow with control and order and do not become cancerous – benign polyps. Certain kinds of polyps can grow and develop out of control and create bizarre appearing cells – cancerous polyps. Cancerous polyps make larger masses of uncontrolled cell growth-colon cancer.

What causes colon cancer?

The only clear cause of colon cancer starts with colon polyps. Some types of colon polyps can run in a family’s genetic. Some types of colon polyps can be associated with intestinal diseases, for example, colitis. The majority of people with colon cancer do not have family members with polyps, and do not have associated intestinal diseases. Colon cancers can begin with few or no symptoms from tiny colon polyps-constipation, change in poop, or rectal bleeding may or may not be present.

How can colon cancer be prevented?

Colon cancer is preventable. Screening colonoscopy prevents colon cancer by finding and removing all colon polyps before they become cancerous, and by removing all cancerous polyps before the cancer has spread into the colon lining.

How can you find and remove a colon polyp?

Colonoscopy is the only available test that can find and remove colon polyps before they become cancerous.  With the patient under sedation, colonoscopy takes only 15-20 minutes. Colonoscopy saves lives.