Chronic Conditions - Signs & Symptoms of Colorectal Cancer

#coloncancer #colorectalcancer #colonoscopy

What are the signs of colon cancer? While there are some symptoms that should prompt a swift visit to your doctor, the leading sign of colon cancer doesn’t exist. That’s because many times, you could have precancerous polyps or colorectal cancer and not have any symptoms at all.

The importance of screening tests for colorectal cancer is gaining traction, as the percentage of adults age 50 to 75 who were up to date with their screening tests increased by 1.4% from 2016 to 2018 to 68.8%. Screenings for colon and rectal cancer can catch the cancer before it begins and remove potentially troublesome polyps.

Colonoscopies are the gold standard of screening tests for colorectal cancer, and there are other at-home screening tests available. Talk to your doctor about which one is right for you. When colorectal cancer is found at an early stage, the five-year survival rate is about 90%.

Catching colon cancer early through screenings is critical because there often are no symptoms. Talk to you doctor about your family and medical history to see if it’s time to undergo a screening for colon cancer.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, a nonprofit mutual insurance company, is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. BCBSM provides and administers health benefits to more than 4.4 million members residing in Michigan in addition to employees of Michigan-headquartered companies who reside outside the state.

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