March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. The American Cancer Society uses this opportunity to raise awareness that colorectal cancer (commonly referred to as "colon cancer") - the third leading cause of cancer deaths in both men and women in the United States - is largely preventable.

In January, the American Cancer Society reported that cancer deaths dropped for the second year in a row. The study noted that there was a significant decline in colorectal cancer mortality. Although this is good news, the Society estimates that in 2007, approximately 10,710 New Yorkers will be diagnosed with colon cancer, and 3,350 will die from the disease.

The American Cancer Society says increasing colon cancer screening among adults 50 and over represents the single greatest opportunity to decrease colon cancer death rates. "Everyone over 50 has the opportunity to avoid developing colon cancer completely or to find the disease in an early stage," says Gretchen Leffler, Western New York Regional Vice President of the Society. "Since most people with colon cancer do not have a family history of the disease, waiting for symptoms to develop is a tragic mistake. Symptoms can be a sign of more advanced disease. Finding and removing polyps before they turn into cancer, which can be done without surgery, can help us defeat this major cancer killer by preventing it altogether. The tests can also detect cancer in an early stage. If a cancer is found, treating itbefore symptoms develop dramatically increases the likelihood of a cure. When found at its earliest, most treatable stage, colon cancer has a 90 percent survival rate."

There are several colon cancer early detection tests. According to the American Cancer Society guidelines for the early detection of colon cancer, screening should begin at age 50, unless risk factors - such as a personal or family history of polyps - are present. Both men and women should discuss the full range of testing options with their doctor or health care professional and choose one of the following testing options:

· Yearly fecal occult blood test (FOBT) or fecal immunochemical test (FIT); or
· Flexible sigmoidoscopy every five years; or
· Yearly FOBT or FIT andflexible sigmoidoscopy every five years (preferred over either FOBT or FIT alone, or flexible sigmoidoscopy alone); or
· Double-contrast barium enema every five years; or
· Colonoscopy every ten years.

Information about colon cancer, including low-cost or no-cost colon cancer screening for uninsured or underinsured individuals is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at www.cancer.org/colonfab50 or by calling the Society at 1-800-ACS-2345.