March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in both men and women and is preventable. The most common form of colorectal cancer starts out as small abnormal growths, called polyps, that can grow and mutate over time to transform into cancer. If the polyps are removed when they are small, they never get the chance to evolve into cancer. Polyps grow slowly so screening doesn't need to be an annual event. Intervals depend on several factors and most people wait years between screenings.

"Polyps are more likely in people with certain genetic risk f...