March has been designated as National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. During March and throughout the year, Sturdy Memorial Hospital works to increase awareness of colorectal cancer, or cancer of the colon or rectum, and preventive screenings.
According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), the lifetime risk of getting colorectal cancer is one in 20, and it is the third most common cancer excluding skin cancers. Early detection is the best protection against the disease that accounts for about 50,000 deaths annually. ACS screening guidelines follow that men and women over 50 should get a colonoscopy every 10 years. “By testing every 10 years,” says Dr. Mark Robbin, board certified Gastroenterologist at Sturdy, “colorectal cancer can be detected and diagnosed in its early and most treatable stages.”
In its commitment to providing area residents with the most sophisticated diagnostics and treatments available for colorectal cancer, Sturdy has a state-of-the-art Endoscopy Suite in which nearly 3,000 colonoscopies are performed each year. Additionally, Attleboro Gastroenterology Associates (AGA), part of Sturdy Memorial Associates, provides evaluation of gastrointestinal function and treatment for disorders. Comprised of Drs. Cohen, Robbin, Singh, and Uchman, AGA is located at 150 Emory Street in Attleboro and can be reached by calling 508-222-2021.
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Learn more about colorectal cancer and screening by visiting the Hospital website at www.sturdymemorial.org/serv_colcancercare.html.
