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COLORECTAL CANCER |
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Warning signs:
- Change in bowel habits
- Pelvic gas pain
- Persistent constipation, diarrhea
- Weight loss
- Weakness
- Iron deficiency anemia
- Rectal bleeding
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Risks:
- A diet high in animal fat and low in fruits, vegetables, and fiber can increase
risk
- Cigarette smoking/chewing tobacco
- Alcohol abuse
- Little or no exercise
- Overweight/Obese
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When:
- Men and women over 50
- Men and women over 40 with a history of cancer, or cancer in family
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What to do:
- Fecal Occult blood test every year
and - Flexible sigmoidoscopy every five years
or - Colonoscopy every 10 years
or - Double contrast barium enema every five years
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It's a fact:
- Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the U.S.
- Most colorectal cancers begin as a polyp that later can become cancerous
- Polyps can be removed before they cause trouble thus preventing cancer
- Early detection of small cancers reduces the likelihood of major surgery
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