Colon Cancer Awareness Month

Colorectal cancer can affect anyone and the first symptoms are often unnoticed. Regular screenings are one way to help protect your health and give you peace of mind.

Colorectal cancer is the third most common type of cancer among adults, but it often doesn’t show any symptoms, at first. So, making time for a colorectal cancer screening is one way to protect your health and peace of mind.

WHAT IS COLORECTAL CANCER?

Colorectal cancer starts as growths (polyps) in the colon or rectum that turn into cancer. Polyps don’t always turn into cancer, and if they do, it can take several years. That’s why regular screenings are effective – they can detect polyps when they’re harmless and easy to remove.

REDUCE YOUR RISK

Anyone can get colorectal cancer, regardless of race, gender or ethnicity. Some factors increase the risk of colorectal cancer are out of your control, like age, family history or having inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.

There are things you can do to reduce your risk of colorectal cancer and protect your whole health at the same time:

• Exercise regularly
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Eat a high-fiber, low-fat diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains
• Quit or avoid tobacco products
• Drink alcohol in moderation or not at all

WHEN TO BEGIN SCREENINGS

The good news is that the survival rate for colorectal cancer is about 90% when it’s caught early, before it has a chance to spread. Regular screenings are the number one way to detect it…and when they completed as a preventive care – it’s covered 100% using Olympic Steel’s Anthem medical insurance.

The American Cancer Society recommends most adults have regular colorectal cancer screenings from ages 45 to 75. Talk to your doctor for a screening schedule that fits your health history and lifestyle.

Men and women of any race or ethnicity can get colorectal cancer, and it affects some groups differently than others. Learn more using the links below:

• Colorectal cancer – General
• Colorectal cancer – African Americans
• Colorectal cancer – Asian Americans
• Colorectal cancer – Hispanic adults (Spanish version)

NOTE: Colorectal Cancer Screenings are preventive screenings that earn you an entry into the 25 Days of Giveaways (awarded in December 2025). Learn more here or reach out to Brandi Kelley, Corporate Benefits Manager, at x15502.