| Colon cancer is currently the second most | | | | who are diagnosed with an early stage are able to |
| common cancer in the United States, and causes | | | | undergo a successful surgical removal of the |
| over 50,000 deaths in the country each year; and | | | | cancer before it spreads to other parts. It is |
| for the record, which is about as many American | | | | important to note that in the beginning stages, the |
| soldiers that died in the entire Vietnam conflict. | | | | signs are rarely noticeable, so it is only those who |
| This is an especially tragic and frustrating fact | | | | regularly go for a colonoscopy or other colon |
| because the majority of the deaths caused by | | | | exam that will be able to catch the disease early. |
| colon cancer could have been prevented or | | | | This cancer also has a high tendency to run in |
| reduced. | | | | families. There is a genetic trait for developing |
| The symptoms include pain in the abdomen, | | | | 'polyps' that can be passed down from one |
| diarrhea, blood in the feces, and sometimes | | | | generation to the next, and this trait vastly |
| constipation or sometimes even blocked bowel | | | | increases your odds of getting the disease. If you |
| movements. It can range from very mild, and to | | | | parents, grandparents, or siblings have even been |
| extremely severe. There are cases of colon | | | | diagnosed with this disease, there is a good |
| cancer that are almost without symptoms until | | | | chance you may have this polyp gene, and it is |
| the latest stages. | | | | especially important that you get checked |
| It is not a good idea to wait until you have | | | | regularly once you reach the age of 40. |
| noticeable sign before learning about the disease | | | | Clearly, it is extremely important to get a regular |
| and taking some action. Once you've developed | | | | colon exam, irregardless of whether the disease |
| such symptoms, the disease has probably | | | | runs in your family or not. Also, contrary to some |
| entered into the middle or late stages, and there | | | | myths, women are as likely to develop colon |
| is a high chance that it has spread to other areas | | | | cancer as compare to men. People of African |
| of your body. Once it has spread to other parts | | | | decent seem to be especially prone to such |
| of your body, your likelihood of survival lowers | | | | disease, and should consider getting their first |
| dramatically. | | | | exam starting even earlier than age 40. No one |
| If you catch colon cancer in the earlier stages, | | | | likes the thought of a colon exam, as they are |
| there is an extremely high chance that you will | | | | certainly unpleasant, but late stage colon cancer |
| recover and survive well. Over 90% of people | | | | are definitely worse to have. |