Looking Back - A Journey with Colon Cancer: I'm back:
No the cancer is not back, but I am.
Had you for a second there didn't I?
I'm very pleased to be working with both Colon Cancer Canada and the Canadian Cancer Society this year, and I'm here to let you know that March is Colon Cancer Awareness month. And since I am so fortunate to call so many of you friends, I'm also here to remind you that like me, you are probably about 50 this year, and that means it's time for you to get screened.
It will be a major mission in the rest of my life to beat the drum about awareness, prevention and screening of colon cancer, because I don't want what happened to me to happen to you.
As they say at the Canadian Cancer Society, make your bottom your top priority!
Colon cancer is the number two cancer killer, yet it is 90% treatable when caught early.
Getting checked can help find colon cancer early, or even prevent it from happening before it starts. This is why it is so important to check for the disease before you have symptoms. In 2012, an estimated 8,700 Ontarians were diagnosed with colon cancer and approximately 3,450 people died from the disease.
Make your bottom your top priority. Talk to your doctor about getting checked for colon cancer every two years, once you turn 50.
Getting checked for colon cancer could be as easy as taking an at-home stool test (also known as the fecal occult blood test – FOBT).
If you’re at high risk for colon cancer, talk to your doctor about other colon cancer screening options.
