Colon Cancer Screening

Welcome. Our guide will help you choose the way you want to be screened for colorectal (colon) cancer.

Here are a few facts to help you understand the importance of being screened for colon cancer:

• Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States.
• An estimated 147,000 new cases will be diagnosed this year. About 57,000 people will die from the disease.
• About five percent of Americans are expected to develop the disease within their lifetime. Men are at slightly higher risk than women.
• The risk of colon cancer begins to increase after the age of 40. The risk rises sharply between the ages of 50 and 55, and then doubles with each succeeding decade.

Getting screened for colon cancer is one of the best ways to lower your risk of this important disease. It's also a lot easier than many people realize.

Click here to begin using this Decision Guide.

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Online Medical Reviewer: Faculty of Harvard Medical School Date Last Reviewed: 7/12/2006 Date Last Modified: 6/27/2006 Source: from Harvard Health Decision Guides, Harvard Health Publications, Copyright © 2007 by President and Fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Used with permission of StayWell.

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