Myths of Colon Cancer and How You Can Join the Fight Against Cancer in Cranberry

Thanks to improvements in prevention, early detection and treatment, more than 1 million people in the United States count themselves as survivors of colon or rectum cancer — also called colorectal cancer.

March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and your American Cancer Society can help you learn how to prevent and detect this cancer.

In the last few decades, more people have been surviving colon cancer, and fewer people have been dying from it. This is thanks in part to donations made through events such as the American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Cranberry Township and improvements in colon cancer screening.

Screening — the process of looking for cancer or pre-cancer in people who have no symptoms of the disease — can find colon cancer early, before symptoms develop, when it’s easier to treat. Screening can also sometimes find growths called polyps so they can be removed before they turn into cancer.

Know the five myths of colorectal cancer? You'll be surprised by what you thought you knew.

The American Cancer Society recommends regular colon cancer screening for most people starting at age 50. People with a family history of the disease or other risk factors should talk with their doctor about beginning screening at a younger age.

Want to learn more about how you can help in the fight against cancer? Join the American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Cranberry Township where your donations are making a difference.