POTSDAM — Those who have a first degree relative who has/had colorectal cancer, have a higher risk of getting the disease.
March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and the team of Gastroenterologists with St. Lawrence Health want to reinforce the importance of being screened via a colonoscopy.
According to the American Cancer Society, excluding skin cancers, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in both men and women in the United States.
“Not all cancers are hereditary, and if someone has or gets colon cancer, that does not mean they will get rectal cancer, and vice versa,” said Canton-Potsdam Hospital Gastroenterologist Rajiv Shah, MD. “The symptoms, however, are the same for both cancers.”
Symptoms may include pain in the abdomen, blood in stool, change in bowel habits, constipation, narrow stools, or passing excessive amounts of gas. Some individuals may also feel tired or experience weight loss. There may be few to no symptoms in the early stages of colorectal cancer, so yearly screening beginning at age 45 is important; earlier if risk factors are involved.
St. Lawrence Health’s Gastroenterology Department is comprised of a team of six providers. Colonoscopies are available at Canton-Potsdam Hospital, Gouverneur Hospital, and Massena Hospital.
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