Spring Screening – Add Scheduling a Colonoscopy to This Year's Task List
March 4, 2025
The body is an amazing, complicated, and sometimes fragile machine. And like any machine, it operates best when given the right fuel, used properly, and provided regular maintenance.
Each March, National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month reminds us of the importance of proper care of our bodies to prevent potentially catastrophic breakdowns. It raises awareness about colorectal cancer, promotes early detection and screening, and encourages individuals to add scheduling a colonoscopy to their task list.
Approximately one in 25 men and women in the United States will develop colorectal cancer in their lifetime. That amounts to about 150,000 new diagnoses per year. About 50,000 die annually from the disease.
Prevention begins with the tried-and-true tenets of good health:
- Eat healthier – eat more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and less red meats and processed foods.
- Exercise regularly – be physically active and maintain a healthy weight.
- Quit smoking – or better yet, never start.
- Drink less alcohol – or none at all.
Because colorectal cancer symptoms are mostly invisible to us in the early stages, prevention also entails regular screenings, most notably a colonoscopy. A colonoscopy is a medical procedure that examines the large intestine (colon) using a thin, flexible tube equipped with a small camera called a colonoscope. Special instruments can be passed through the colonoscope to biopsy (sample) or remove any suspicious-looking areas such as polyps, if needed.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends colonoscopy for adults at average risk of colorectal cancer starting at age 45 and continuing every 10 years thereafter.
Screenings like these are essential because they can detect colorectal cancer early, when it is most treatable.
Watertown Regional Medical Center is your local resource for colorectal health and well-being. We can perform the screening that’s right for you and advise on lifestyle measures you can take to best prevent future kinks in your machinery.
Click here to take a colon health assessment. If you already know you are due for a colonoscopy, schedule one by calling 920.206.3042.
Every six months or so, you get the oil changed on your car. You might have your lawnmower serviced annually, your HVAC every five years, and your roof every 10 years. After 45+ years of use, you can surely take the time to get your colon checked.