March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.  Awareness is necessary to dealing with the challenge of colorectal cancer, and the first thing we should be aware of is our individual risk.

Risk factors for colorectal cancer include:  increasing age (older than age 50); a personal history of colorectal cancer; chronic inflammatory bowel disease; a family history of colorectal cancer, adenomatous polyposis or nonpolyposis colon cancer; a diet mostly from animal sources; a physically inactive lifestyle; obesity; smoking; and heavy use of alcohol. Descendents of Jews from Eastern Europe may also be at greater risk of developing colorectal cancer.

These are risks that should be known by the individual.  Another major risk factor is colorectal polyps, and these can only be detected by a colonoscopy.

Early detection is key to treating colorectal cancer.  Unfortunately, the greater Kalamazoo area has been identified as having a significantly lower rate of early detection than the nation as a whole.

I recommend patients in the Kalamazoo area with average risk factors to have their first screening at age 50. If you have a family history of colon cancer or other risk factors, you may want to begin screening at any earlier age; please consult with your physician.  If a patient’s colon screening reveals no polyps, nor any other issues, then every 10 years thereafter is appropriate for routine screening.  If polyps or other issues are identified, the screening physician may recommend repeat screening every 3 or 5 years based on individual findings.

To help increase the rate of early detection for Kalamazoo area residents, Borgess has made screening easy, offering free colorectal screening kits to persons with significant risk factors throughout March.  This screening test is simple and easy to use.    

For the sake of yourself and your loved ones, I urge you use go directly to the screening kit site or call (800) 828.8135 or (269) 226.8135 today.

Brij Dewan, MD
Kalamazoo Gastroenterology & Hepatology, PC

If you are one of millions of Americans who should be checked for colorectal cancer, this is a special time of year. 

March has been designated National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, for some very good reasons.  Based on statistics from previous years, colon and rectal cancer may cause more than 50,000 deaths in 2010.  Unfortunately, some of these deaths are likely to occur in the Kalamazoo area.

The good news is that the colorectal cancer death rate has been declining for the past 15 years.  This is due to many factors, including increased colorectal screening.  Screening and colonoscopy help identify polyps so that they can be removed before they turn into cancer. 

When colorectal cancer is treated early, it is easier to cure.  Regrettably, all too often the disease still goes undetected because people are afraid and uncomfortable about the screening process, so they do not get tested. The greater Kalamazoo area has been identified as having a significantly lower rate of early detection when compared with national rates.

Fortunately, Borgess makes it easy to be tested.  Free colorectal cancer-screening kits are available from Borgess for area residents who have significant colorectal cancer risk factors.  The test used by Borgess is simple and easy to use. 

As a surgeon who has seen many persons who have been diagnosed early and cured, and others who have been diagnosed too late, I hope you and your loved ones taken advantage of this opportunity if you are at significant risk for colorectal cancer.  Visit colorectal.borgess.com or call 1-800.828.8135 or 269.226.8135 for more information about colorectal screening kits from Borgess for Kalamazoo area residents.

Thank you. 

Brij Dewan, MD
Kalamazoo Gastroenterology & Hepatology, PC