Colorectal cancer remains the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States — even though the death rate for colorectal cancer has been declining for years.
The reason for the decline: more people are receiving colorectal screenings, allowing a physician to find and remove colorectal polyps before they can develop into cancer and finding cancers while they’re still small and more easily treated.
And the reason colorectal cancer persists in claiming so many lives: too many people are still not getting screened. If everyone who should receive regular colorectal screenings followed through with the exam, we could reduce the death rate from colorectal cancer by 60 percent.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends adults receive their first colonoscopy at age 45, and continuing the screening at 10-year intervals unless otherwise advised by your physician. It can take 10 to 15 years for a polyp to develop into cancer, and the colonoscopy gives your physician the best chance to find and remove polyps before that can happen.
Colonoscopy also enables your physician to better find cancers even when they’re very small, so treatment can begin when it has the greatest chances at success and the smallest impact on your quality of life.
It’s easy to arrange for a colonoscopy. You can begin by asking your primary care provider for a referral, or by calling 770-214-CARE and asking for a gastroenterology specialist on staff at Tanner Health System. With Tanner, the screenings can be performed in Carrollton, Villa Rica or Bremen, making it more convenient.
If a problem is detected, Tanner Cancer Care offers a range of treatment options, with access to board-certified general surgeons, robot-assisted surgery options, board-certified radiation and medical oncologists, board-certified gastroenterology specialists, the most advanced and proven radiation treatment platform available, follow-up care and more. You can also benefit from the Tanner Cancer Care Promise: 3 Days from Diagnosis to Treatment Options, which helps you learn the course forward with treatment even faster, so you worry less and heal more.
Don’t be a statistic — call 770-214-CARE to discuss setting up your colonoscopy today.
West Georgia Gastroenterology Associates has locations in Bremen, Carrollton and Villa Rica. For more information, call 770-214-2800 or visit westgagastro.com.