5 Reasons Why You Should Have A Colon Cancer Screening

There are a lot of great benefits that come from living and working in a place like Western New York. Not only does the Buffalo area call itself home to several great things like sports, architecture, and food, all of which are exceptional reasons to live in the 716.

Now, while these are all great reasons to call the region home, there are actually a-whole-nother set of reasons why you should be glad to make Western New York your home.

All over the Buffalo area, we have access to quite a few high-quality hospitals, which is something that a lot of American communities cannot say. The medical systems in the 716 are among the best in the nation, and you have plenty of options to choose from; with examples like Kaleida, ECMC, Catholic Health, and Roswell Park, you have no shortage of places to get top-notch treatment. As someone with several members who are part of the medical community in the area, I am proud to say that Buffalo is second to none in the medical treatment area.

This is even more true when it comes to cancer screening and treatment. You don’t need to go far to find many free and low-cost cancer screening programs that the various medical systems have to offer. This is extremely important to know because a growing percentage of the population in America is being diagnosed with cancer.

For example, more than 4% of Americans will battle colorectal cancer in their lifetime. According to the World Cancer Research Fund, 1 in 23 men and 1 in 26 women in the United States will receive a colon cancer or rectal cancer diagnosis during their life. These numbers are even higher for Blacks and African Americans, who are more than 20% more likely to develop colon cancer and as much as 40% more likely to die from it when compared to white Americans.

Given these numbers, getting screened for these cancers is essential, as most of them can be cured when found early. As a colon cancer survivor, I urge you to get screened, and I have five reasons why I think it’s a good idea to do it right now.

• Early detection can save your life: According to the American Cancer Society, the survival rates are astronomical when the cancer is caught early. Having a colonoscopy is quick and easy to get checked.
• Colon Cancer is relatively common: With more than 160,000 people being diagnosed with this cancer in 2023, it's one of the most common cancers. This also means there are many more opportunities for you to be treated and cured of it if you are diagnosed.
• You can stop Colon Cancer before it starts: Nearly all colon cancers start as precancerous polyps, which can be quickly found and removed when you have a colonoscopy. If you get rid of them before they turn to cancer, you’re good to go.
• Colon Cancer doesn’t make a lot of noise: That is, until it’s too late. Most colon cancers don’t have any symptoms or major risk factors until it’s advanced. You don’t often know about it until it's nearly too late.
• Localized cancer is easy to treat: If cancer does develop, finding it before it spreads means you can treat it with procedures that can give you a better quality of life over time. Not having chemotherapy can mean a longer and better life for you.

If you’re an adult aged 45 or older, or if you have a family history of colorectal cancers, please get screened today. Let me know if you need someone to go with you to your screening, and I’ll be there.