Not Just a Man’s Disease

March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, to help spread the word we are cross posting the following post. It originally ran on HuffPost Healthy Living.
Colorectal cancer is not just a man’s disease — it’s the third most common cancer in women behind lung and breast — and not just among the elderly [1]. In fact, colorectal cancer diagnoses are becoming increasingly common in individuals younger than 50 [2].

Colorectal cancer is the growth of abnormal cancerous cells in the lower part of the colon that connects the anus to the large bowel. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 135,000 cases of colorectal cancer are diagnosed annually. Colorectal cancer tends to develop very slowly — over a period of 10 to 20 years — beginning as a noncancerous growth called a polyp that develops on the inner lining of the colon or rectum. An estimated 5 percent (or 1 in 20) of Americans will be diagnosed with cancer of the colon or rectum in their lifetime [2].

Ashley Oliver was that 1 in 20.

Oliver, an active mother of two young daughters, began experiencing symptoms after her 30th birthday. She suffered repeated bouts of stomach pain and physical exhaustion, growing more persistent and severe by the month — typical of colorectal cancer. A colonoscopy nearly a year after her symptoms first began confirmed the diagnosis: Oliver had colorectal cancer.

“Following my diagnosis I was scared — afraid I wouldn’t be able to do all o...

Source: Disruptive Women in Health Care - March 30, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: dw at disruptivewomen.net Tags: Cancer Men's Health Women's Health Source Type: blogs