Stop Do I Need Screened?

Colorectal
Colorectal Checklist Cancer
Cancer one If you answer YES to any of the
Screening
screening test
below, talk to your doctor about
getting screened.
at a time
Colorectal Cancer is the 3rd
Age 50 or older
Screening Saves most common cause of
cancer-related death
Lives!
Family member with Dont Let It Be
Colorectal Cancer

Inflammatory Bowel
Disease (IBD)
Crohn's Disease OR
Ulcerative Colitis

Genetic Disorder
Get Screened Familial Adenmatous Polyposis
Lynch Syndrome

Today Peutz-Jeghers Syndrome

Gardner Syndrome

Colorectal Cancer
What Is It?
Colorectal cancer is cancer that occurs
anywhere along the colon or rectum.
The colon is also known as the large
intestine. The rectum is what joins the
large intestine to the anus.
It normally begins as a polyp, which
is a small mass of cells in your colon
or rectum that should not be there.
Most polyps are harmless. However,
over a period of time, this polyp could
develop into cancer.
Why Should I Get
Screened?
Screening is looking for cancer even though you
have no signs of the disease.
Colorectal cancer most often occurs in men and
woman aged 50 years and older
Risk for colorectal cancer goes up with age.
Do I Have High Risk?
Risk may be higher than normal if:
A close family member or relative has
colorectal cancer
You currently have inflammatory bowel
disease (Ulcerative Colitis or Crohns
Disease)
You have a genetic disorder like Familial
Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP) or Lynch
Syndrome.
You are overweight and do not exercise
You are a smoker
If you have any of these other risk factors, talk to your
doctor about being tested earlier.
How Does Screening Work?
Screening looks inside the colon and rectum to find
polyps and remove them before they become cancer.
Types of Screening Tests
Various tests exist to check for polyps or colorectal
cancer. Below are the approved tests:
Flexible Sigmoidoscopy A short, flexible,
lighted tube about a finger thick with a small
camera at the end is put into the rectum via the
anus and checks for polyps or cancer inside the
rectum and final 1/3 of the colon. Not all
polyps found can be removed during the test.
Colonoscopy Similar to the flexible
sigmoidoscopy test except the tube is longer so
the doctor can see the rectum and all of the
colon. Any polyps or cancer seen can be
removed during the test.
Fecal Occult Blood Testing looks for
hidden blood in your poop. It finds blood via a
chemical reaction. This test can be done at
home using a kit with instructions. A brush or
stick will be used to collect the sample.
Resources
For more information on colorectal cancer and
screening for it, go to:
American Cancer Society
www.cancer.org/cancer/colonandrectumcancer
Center for Disease Control & Prevention
www.cdc.gov/cancer/colorectal