Business of Life

Be smart, not embarrassed

Probably one of the most embarrassing things to talk about is colorectal cancer.  The depth of the ignorance about the risk of the third leading cancer killer of men and women was revealed in a recent American Cancer Society survey that found that more older Americans (38%) know the name of a judge of "American Idol" than know they're at risk for colorectal cancer (34%).

"As Simon Cowell might say: 'These results are abysmal,' " Dr. Stephen F. Sener, national volunteer president of the American Cancer Society, said in a prepared statement. "An estimated 145,290 Americans will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2005, and 56,290 will die of the disease. The fact that two out of three Americans aged 50 and over don't know they need to be tested should serve as a wake-up call," he said.

Everyone over 50 should be screened.  No excuses.  These are the screening tests