March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and the
American Cancer Society urges everyone age 50 or older to be
examined every five years. Colorectal cancer is the third
leading cause of cancer death for both men and women in the
United States, according to the American Cancer Society. This
year, colorectal cancer will take the lives of more than 50,000
Americans. In fact, half of all colon cancer deaths each year
could be prevented in the United States if everyone age 50 and
older got screened. Colorectal cancer also is the third most
commonly diagnosed form of cancer in the nation for both men and
women. Early detection allows doctors to remove polyps before
they become cancerous, therefore preventing the disease
altogether. Some colon cancer facts include: — In 2013, an
estimated 143,000 new cases of colorectal cancer will be
diagnosed in the United States. And, in Michigan alone, 13
people every day will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer. —
Colorectal cancer (commonly referred to as colon canc