There are several easy steps you can take to decrease your risk of developing colorectal cancer. The most important thing is getting a colonoscopy starting at age 45, according to the American Cancer Society. This applies to both men and women. Many colon cancers can be caught on colonoscopy even before they develop, or when the polyps are small enough to be removed without surgery. In fact, colonoscopy for screening of colon cancer is so effective that the incidence of this disease is actually decreasing.
Apart from colonoscopy, there are also lifestyle changes you can make. Chief among those is stopping any tobacco use, making sure you’re not overweight, and eating a diet with a lot of fiber which includes green vegetables, whole wheat foods, and fruits like apples and bananas.
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