Colon cancer sometimes called the "silent killer," since it often has no symptoms is one of the most preventable cancers and screening tests can detect it early when treatment works best.

Age is one of the biggest risk factors for colon cancer and it is recommended that men and women over the age of 50 years get a screening test done. If there is a family history of colon cancer or pre-cancerous polyps an earlier screening might be a wise decision.

According to the CDC, in most cases, colorectal cancer develops from precancerous polyps (abnormal growths) in the colon or rectum. Regular screenings can detect the precancerous polyps which can be removed before they turn into cancer.

In an attempt to create awareness about colon cancer the Licking County Health Department is joining hands with American Cancer Society, the U. S. Centers for Disease Control, to motivate Licking County residents who are over 50 years old to talk to their health care provider and get a screening test for colon cancer.

Health Commissioner, Joe Ebel, said, "Among cancers that affect both men and women, colorectal cancer-cancer of the colon or rectum-is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Colorectal cancer also is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in the United States." Ebel added, "The statistics are staggering, but the good news is that if everybody age 50 or older had regular screening tests, as many as 60% of deaths from this cancer could be avoided. So if you are
50 or older, start screening now."

There are some basics of screenings and many questions that people who have not had the procedure before have. David Lieberman, head of gastroenterology at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland says that if your colonoscopy is clear and there is no family history of the disease, guidelines say that you do not need a repeat procedure for a decade although there are some doctors who feel a shorter interval is preferable.

According to the U. S. Preventive Services Task Force screening colonoscopies after the age of 75 need not be routine and for those over 85 the procedure need not be done at all. Though there is a debate on a colonoscopy catching cancer early and thereby extending an older person's life.

The fear of a colonoscopy being painful is an unfounded fear as the procedure can be performed in three ways with either full sedation involving anesthesia, partial sedation where the patient is drowsy and feels no pain but is conscious and the last is without any sedation.

The financial aspects of a colonoscopy vary from health provider and where you live as well as on the procedure you opt for as the full sedation costs more due to an anesthetic being involved. "Insurance coverage is maybe the biggest predictor of whether an individual is screened," says Durado Brooks, director of prostate and colorectal cancers for the American Cancer Society. Most insurers cover the procedure as it is required by law in many of the states.

Colonoscopies are the most effective screening test for a common cancer apart for the Pap smear for cervical cancer. Timely screenings can help not only detect the disease in time but treat it effectively as well.