March is Colon Cancer Awareness Month.
The goal of this month-long campaign is to encourage people to get screened for colon cancer.
Many physicians agree that when the pandemic hit, colorectal cancer screenings declined across the nation.
To tackle this topic, Newswatch 16's Ryan Leckey had a LIVE Q & A recently with gastroenterologist Dr. Jeff Costanzo. You can watch the entire interview at the bottom of this post.
Dr. Costanzo works in the East Stroudsburg area for Eastern Pennsylvania Gastroenterology and Liver Specialists.
Dr. Costanzo tackled everything from "virtual colonoscopies" to "screening guidelines" for patients.
According to the CDC, every year, "about 140,000 people in the United States get colorectal cancer and more than 50,000 people die of it."
The CDC shared tips at this link to lower your risk.
Dr. Costanzo explained that some symptoms of colon cancer can include: blood in or on the stool, abdominal pain that doesn’t go away, or unexplained weight loss. If you experience any of these symptoms, you should always reach out to your doctor.
Dr. Costanzo stresses that all men and women should be screened for colorectal cancer.
Who should get screened and when?
The American Cancer Society suggests that people should start getting screened for colon cancer at the age of 45. Read more here.
Need help to get screened?
If you're insured or underinsured, there are programs in our area that could help you get screened for colon cancer. It all surrounds the "Northeast Regional Cancer Institute Community-Based Cancer Screening Navigation Program." The goal of the program helps guide low-income, uninsured, and underinsured individuals in the right direction if they are not who are not up to date with breast, cervical, colon, and lung cancer screenings.
Below is a LIVE Q & A where Dr. Jeff Costanzo fielded many questions from viewers about colon cancer and different screening methods.
C.A.S.U.A.L. Day 2021
WNEP-TV is a proud media sponsor of the "Northeast Regional Cancer Institute’s annual C.A.S.U.A.L. Day," which stands for Colon Cancer Awareness Saves Unlimited Adult Lives. The goal of the campaign is to raise awareness for colorectal cancer in northeastern Pennsylvania and teach individuals the importance of screening and early detection.
C.A.S.U.A.L. Day 2021 is Thursday, March 25, 2021.
You can get involved at this link.
