Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month  

Newswise — The incidence of colorectal cancer has declined in recent years, thanks to increased screening for the disease.

However, many Americans haven’t gotten the message about screening.

An estimated 148,800 people will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2008 and nearly 50,000 will die from the preventable disease.

There are a number of options for screening – stool blood test, sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy, CT colonography (or “virtual colonoscopy”) – and some confusion about which test is best.

Everyone age 50 and older should talk with their doctor to determine which test is right for them.

The most important message to share this month, and any time, is Get Screened. Screening for colorectal cancer saves lives.