“The best screening test is the one that gets done,” Dr. Nurkin says.
Colorectal Cancer
Deciding to seek a second opinion turned out to be the first of the many times Stefanie appreciated the individualized, multidisciplinary care she got from Roswell Park’s team of experts.
Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers in both men and women. Although it is slightly more common in men, 1 in every 24 women will be diagnosed with colon or rectal cancer at some point in her life.
The differences between left-sided and right-sided colon cancers include why and how the cancer developed, whether it produces noticeable symptoms, and the cancer’s aggressiveness and how well it responds to usual chemotherapy regimens.
Some colon polyps are benign, which means they are not cancerous, but some can be precancerous or cancerous.
“We’ve come a long way,” he says. "That’s thanks to our phenomenal team, with dedicated surgical technicians and nurses.”
While some risk factors, including a genetic predisposition for disease, cannot be controlled, research has shown certain lifestyle factors, like a healthy diet, exercise and maintaining a healthy body weight, could prevent nearly half of the cases of colorectal cancers diagnosed in the United States every year.
This year, there will be over 100,000 new cases of colorectal cancer diagnosed in the United States, so I want to educate the public on some preemptive steps and lifestyle changes that can successfully alter the development of this disease.
A colon polyp is an irregularity of the internal lining of the colon. It most commonly results in a raised surface or bump on the inner surface of the colon.
Christine, who lives with her husband, William, and their three children, Jackson, 18, Bella, 15, and Livi, 13, in Ellicottville, New York, learned she had colorectal cancer in 2016.
Every April, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center works to raise awareness about cancer among minority populations by recognizing National Minority Cancer Awareness Week, celebrated this year April 8-14, 2019.
More than 50,000 people die of colorectal cancer each year — but the death rate is on a steady decline, and the American Cancer Society projects that the 2020 death rate will be 50% lower than the 2000 rate.