PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — One of the casualties of COVID-19 has been routine cancer screening. Now is the time to catch up, especially for high-risk conditions like colon cancer.
Many serious conditions can be prevented by lifestyle changes or certain medications. However, few interventions are more effective than colon cancer screenings.
Both the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and the American Cancer Society suggest people get screened beginning at age 45. If you have colon cancer in your family, you should start earlier.
Colon cancer starts as small outgrowths in the colon called polyps. During a colonoscopy, these polyps can be removed before they grow and become cancerous. In other words, you can literally prevent colon cancer by taking this step.
KYW Newsradio’s Medical Reports are sponsored by Independence Blue Cross.