Colon (colorectal) cancer, often called the "silent killer" ranks as the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States. Colon cancer affects both men and women about equally and kills more people annually than either breast cancer or prostate cancer.

Some reasons: neglect, lack of awareness, lack of media attention, embarrassment, the "yuck" factor, too few people taking an active role in monitoring their own health to prevent this disease.

Whatever the reason, the good news is that no one has to die from colon cancer. With over a 90 percent cure rate caught early enough, colon cancer is preventable and treatable. Early detection through screening is the key.

Colon cancer deaths could be nearly eliminated if most people learn the basics, talk to their family and physicians about it, and take action to prevent it. Unfortunately, as recent government surveys and studies show, less than 40% of people who should be screened have been screened. Respondents age 50 and over to a recent survey on this site said only 51% of their doctors discussed colon cancer screening with them.

Prevention of colon cancer and other digestive disorders starts with you. It requires that you take an active role in your own health. That means know the basics: 1) the early warning signs and symptoms of colon cancer, 2) whether you have a family history of cancer requiring earlier screening measures than the average population, 3) the different screening methods available, and 4) the best screening tests to use. It also requires that you engage in: 1) a regular regimen of screening, and 2) an educated and active dialog with your health care provider so they can provide the best available preventative care.

Healthy eating habits and lifestyle can be useful prevention measures, but scientific evidence clearly weighs in favor of a regular regimen of screening as the best and most reliable form of colon cancer prevention. The goal of screening is to detect and remove pre-cancerous polyps - the source of nearly all colon cancers. A simple screening regimen, regularly used, can literally mean the difference between life or death.

Although colon cancer can strike with no warning signs, one of the most frequent and commonly the only early warning sign is blood in stool from bleeding polyps. Too often this sign is either not noticed because the blood is not visible to the human eye or not acted upon.

A healthy, normal individual does not bleed internally. If you do bleed internally, resulting in either occult (hidden) or visible traces of blood in stool, this can be a sign of colon cancer or other digestive health problem that requires immediate medical attention. [ continue ]