Are You at Increased Risk for Colorectal Cancer?
Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosis in both men and women in the United States, when excluding skin cancers. Knowing if you’re at increased risk can be the first step towards beating colorectal cancer. Earlier diagnosis and earlier treatment can mean better outcomes.
In order to help healthcare providers and patients determine their risk, The National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute have developed an easy to use Colorectal Risk Assessment Tool. The tool is meant to be used by men and women between the ages of 45-85 and is standardized for white, black/African American, Asian American/Pacific Islander and Hispanic/Latino people. Unfortunately, it does not accurately assess risk for individuals with certain medical conditions such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, familial adenomatous polyposis, hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer or a personal history of colorectal cancer in the past.
This helpful test can be completed in 5 minutes in the privacy of your home. It will compare your risk to others of your same gender, age, and ethnicity. Best of all, it can be printed out and taken to your healthcare provider to start the discussion of when you should be screened! Do it today and know your risk.