McLeod Health Clarendon wants to raise cancer colon awareness

MANNING — Colorectal cancer, sometimes referred to as colon cancer, is the third most common cancer in men and women.
Colon cancer does not discriminate. It affects both men and women and is most often found in individuals who are 50 years old or older; however, that is not always the case.
Colon cancer is the second leading cancer killer in the nation of cancers that affect both men and women, but according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, colon cancer doesn’t have to be a killer. Through colorectal cancer screenings many lives have been saved, and about nine of every 10 individuals whose colorectal cancers were detected early and treated properly are still alive five years down the road.
The CDC suggests that men and women who are 50 years old or older should be screened for colorectal cancer.
In observance of National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, McLeod Health Clarendon wants to raise a local awareness of colorectal cancer. With an estimated 101,420 new cases of colorectal cancer expected to be diagnosed in 2019, McLeod Health Clarendon want to make everyone aware of its symptoms, which are a change in bowel habits, abdominal pain, blood in the stool and weight loss; however for most individuals who are diagnosed with colon cancer, they don’t have any symptoms and when symptoms do exist, the disease may have already reached advanced stages.
McLeod Health Clarendon suggests that people get checked for colon cancer before any symptoms appear because when it’s discovered early, it can often be cured. Over the past few decades, the improved treatments for this type of cancer have resulted in more than one million survivors.
What are the guidelines for colonoscopy screenings?
People with no family history of colon cancer and no history of adenomatous polyps should be screened at the age of 45; however, individuals with a family history of colon cancer or who have other health conditions that make them predisposed for the disease should be screened at an earlier age.
A colonoscopy is a procedure where a lighted camera on a flexible stem is used to view the inside of a person’s large intestine.
“Abnormalities can only be viewed if the area is clean,” said Dr. Devonne Barrineau, a McLeod general surgeon. “Creating a clean colon is the goal of the preparation prescribed for patients up prior to their test. The prep requires patients to follow one of several laxative regimes that help empty and clean their intestines prior to the colonoscopy. The prep may seem uncomfortable or time-consuming, but it is a vital part of the screening’s success.”
McLeod Health Clarendon suggests that you talk with your doctor if you begin to experience any signs or symptoms or if you fall into any of the at-risk categories.
For more information, call (803) 435-2822. Additional information on colorectal cancer can also be found by logging onto www.McLeodHealth.org.