March is colon cancer awareness month

PINE BELT, Miss. (WDAM) - March officially starts colon cancer awareness.

The Centers for Disease Control reports that colon cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States.

Screening for the disease saves lives.

Screening can find pre-cancerous polyps, abnormal growths in the colon or rectum, that can be removed before they turn into cancer.

“We see more colon cancer in patients that don’t have any family history of colon cancer than in patients that do have a family history,” said Dr. William Farmer, gastroenterologist for the Digestive Diseases Center of Hattiesburg.

“And that’s really because patients (who) have a family history of colon cancer have their colonoscopy are trying. And people (who) don’t have a family history typically will put those tests off because they don’t think they need them. And unfortunately, when they come in, they may have a cancer.”

Farmer recommends that those older than 45 should consider scheduling a colon cancer screening.

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