Cancers of the colon and rectum are the fourth most commonly diagnosed cancers and rank second among cancer deaths in the United States. A person at age 50 has about a 5% lifetime risk of being diagnosed with colorectal cancer and a 2.5% chance of dying from it; the average patient dying of colorectal cancer loses 13 years of life.
All adults age 50 and over are urged to be screened for the disease. Those with particular risk factors might need to be screened sooner and more frequently. Studies show that various screening methods are effective in diagnosing cancer early and preventing deaths.
Screening is a simple take-home, throw-in-the-bowl test kit which detects pre-symptomatic occult bleeding. Each kit contains all supplies and directions needed to complete testing in the privacy of the home.
