March is Colon Cancer Awareness Month, Get Educated on AM Minnesota 3-24-2016

March is Colon Cancer Awareness Month.

Northfield Hospital and Clinics board-certified internal medicine specialist Dr. Randolph Reister will join us on today's KDHL AM Minnesota at 9:30AM.

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer among American adults, and a leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Most people who get it have no warning signs in the early stages, when it's easiest to treat.

Reister is an endoscopy specialist and tells us the good news is, this simple test saves lives. Colonoscopy is a routine procedure that should be part of every adult's health screenings.

At age 50 you are supposed to be screened; I had mine at 52. It really was not as bad as you might think. They've come a long way in making the cleaning out process easier.

The only thing I remember about the procedure was after administering the sedative the doctor asked me to count backwards and I got to about 94 and was out cold.

I awakened in the recovery room and the doctor said I have very good news you don't have to see us again for 10 years.

Reister says 1 in 20 adults will get colorectal cancer, according to statistics provided by the American Cancer Society. About 50,000 people die from it every year.

That's about two entire communities the size of Faribault.

A colonoscopy is the best way to see and treat polyps before they become cancerous. These are abnormal growths inside the colon or rectum that may later become cancerous. The hope is to remove the polyps before they become cancerous.

Only 50 percent percent of adults who should have a colonoscopy procedure get one, and more than 60 percent percent of Americans 50 or older have not had any screening.

Colon cancer does run in families.

I hope you will tune in Thursday, and if you are 50 or older and have not had the procedure completed I would encourage you to do so.

We will get more details from Reister.

If you can't tune in at 9:30AM then go to our YouTube channel and become informed.