American Cancer Society Encourages African Americans 50 and Older to Get Tested For Colon Cancer

African Americans at higher risk due to lower screening rates;  Free Colon Cancer Conference on March 19; March is Colon Cancer Month

INLAND EMPIRE –The American Cancer Society’s African American Community Outreach Committee hosting its annual free “Colon Cancer—It’s Preventable!” conference on Saturday, March 19 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Rialto Senior Center, located at 1411 S. Riverside Ave. in Rialto. Free lunch, goody bag, and participation by many vendors will highlight the day. Everyone with a colon is invited.

The conference will feature high-energy health and lifestyle experts on colon cancer prevention and early detection, practical techniques to improve health, and messages of hope for those fighting the disease. Clifford Eke, M.D., originally of Nigeria, is a surgeon at Kaiser Fontana, and will serve as the keynote speaker.

The American Cancer Society encourages African Americans 50 and older to make getting tested for colon cancer a priority. More than 5,356 African American men and women in California are expected to be diagnosed with colon cancer in 2011. Colorectal cancer (commonly referred to as colon cancer) can actually be prevented through screening, which allows doctors to find polyps in the colon and remove them before they turn cancerous. Regularly scheduled cancer screening can save lives and help achieve the American Cancer Society’s goal of creating a world with less cancer and more birthdays. For those seeking assistance visit cancer.org or call 1.800.227.2345 for free information and details about free cancer patient/caregiver support programs.

Screening for colon cancer has been proven to reduce deaths from the disease both by decreasing the number of people who are diagnosed with it and by finding a higher proportion of cancers at early, more treatable stages. Colon cancer rates in California have declined rapidly in the last two decades. Incidence rates of colon cancer in California declined significantly for all four major racial/ethnic groups since 1988 – a decrease of 27% among non-Hispanic whites, 18% among African Americans, 14% among Asian/Pacific Islanders and 7% among Hispanics.

While incidence of colon cancer is declining, screening rates among African Americans remain low.

“We have an opportunity to significantly reduce California death rates from colon cancer through regular screening,” said Dr. Eke, a member of the Society’s California Division Board of Directors, who works with cancer patients daily. “And, this cancer can be prevented through early detection and removal of polyps. We hope that people will use March – National Colon Cancer Awareness Month – as an opportunity to make screening a priority and talk to their doctors, family members and friends about getting tested. By doing so, they are taking a key step toward staying well,” added Willie Grant, chair of the African American Community

Outreach Committee for the American Cancer Society in the Inland Empire.

An estimated 14,775 total cases of colorectal cancer are expected to occur in California in 2011, and an estimated 5,090 deaths. Colon cancer is the third most common cancer in both men and women. Risk factors for colon cancer include a personal family history of the disease.

The American Cancer Society recommends the following tests to find colon cancer early:

• Tests That Detect Precancerous Polyps and Cancer
• Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years, or
• Colonoscopy every 10 years, or
• Double contrast barium enema (DCBE) every 5 years, or
• CT colonography (CTC) every 5 years
• Tests That Primarily Detect Cancer
• Annual guaiac-based fecal occult blood test (gFOBT) with high test sensitivity for cancer, or
• Annual fecal immunochemical test (FIT) with high test sensitivity for cancer, or
• Stool DNA test (sDNA), with high sensitivity for cancer, interval uncertain.

Because of a greater potential to prevent cancer, the tests that have a higher likelihood of finding both polyps and cancer are preferred if patients are willing to use them and have access.

In addition to screening, healthy lifestyle behaviors can reduce risk of colon cancer. Studies show that being overweight or obese increases risk of colon cancer, and people whose diets include a high amount of red and processed meats are at increased risk. The American Cancer Society recommends that adults engage in at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity on five or more days of the week; and consume a healthy diet that includes five or more servings of vegetables and fruits each day, whole grains (instead of processed grains and sugars), limited alcohol and processed and red meats, and controlled portion sizes. Smoking also increases risk of colon cancer. A 2009 study from the American Cancer Society found that long-term smoking (smoking for 40 or more years) increases colon cancer risk by 30 to 50 percent. The Society has proven smoking cessation programs – Freshstart® and the Quit For Life® Program operated by Free & Clear®.

Thanks to improvements in prevention, early detection, and treatment, more than a million people in the U.S. count themselves as survivors of colon cancer. Whether you’re worried about developing colon cancer, making decisions about your treatment, or trying to stay well after treatment, the American Cancer Society can help.

Visit cancer.org or call 1.800.227.2345 for details.

About the American Cancer Society

The American Cancer Society combines an unyielding passion with nearly a century of experience to save lives and end suffering from cancer. As a global grassroots force of more than three million volunteers, we fight for every birthday threatened by every cancer in every community. We save lives by helping people stay well by preventing cancer or detecting it early; helping people get well by being there for them during and after a cancer diagnosis; by finding cures through investment in groundbreaking discovery; and by fighting back by rallying lawmakers to pass laws to defeat cancer and by rallying communities worldwide to join the fight. As the nation’s largest non-governmental investor in cancer research, contributing about $3.4 billion, we turn what we know about cancer into what we do. As a result, about 11 million people in America who have had cancer and countless more who have avoided it will be celebrating birthdays this year. To learn more about us or to get help, call us any time, day or night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.