Ninety percent of colon cancers are preventable, but only about 50% of people who should have colonoscopies actually get them.
Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
Thanks to advancements in endoscopes, which are flexible tubes with cameras or surgical equipment attached, surgery for colorectal polyps or lesions is less common these days.
Artificial intelligence is helping doctors find polyps that they may miss with their own eyes.
By day, Dr. Ajay Goel is a scientist, trying to unlock genetic codes to prevent cancer. By night, he’s passionate about cooking Indian food.
Almost half of all adults in the U.S. develop colon polyps during their lifetime. They're growths that are often benign, but sometimes develop into cancer.
Carole Motycka loves hiking and traveling with her four sons and husband. But when she went to the emergency room for shoulder pain, the doctor found something else.
Deliz Flores was in her 50s and living in Puerto Rico several years ago when she started having sharp pain in her abdomen.
Doctors think improved screening is behind the decline in colorectal cancers for older adults, but there's an ominous trend for younger Americans.
In 2021 the American Cancer Society estimates more than 150,000 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer.
During a colonoscopy, doctors pass a thin scope through the colon to check for polyps, which are tiny growths that can eventually turn into cancers.
