March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Though colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States, regular screening makes the disease highly preventable. If you are age 45 or older or at high risk for colon cancer due to your family history, ask your primary care provider to schedule your colonoscopy.
For information regarding insurance coverage for colonoscopies or other healthcare screenings, consult with your insurance carrier.
Hamilton Medical Center’s (HMC) Bandy Endoscopy Center provides convenient colonoscopy appointments. Patients enter through a dedicated entrance. Hamilton’s board-certified physicians, gastroenterology nurses and other staff are highly qualified professionals who stay up-to-date on new developments. They use best practices to provide excellent patient care and specialize in the latest, minimally-invasive procedures to diagnose and treat a variety of digestive disorders.
HMC’s long-standing commitment to technological innovation means that the endoscopy center has the most advanced medical technology available in the area. HMC uses the latest endoscopic instruments with high-definition images and narrow-band image capability for improved detection and diagnosis of gastrointestinal disorders.
HMC continues to follow CDC guidelines for safety. Staff members, patients and all visitors are screened and are required to wear face coverings at all times while within the hospital. There are additional sanitizing stations, social distancing guidelines and Xenex germ-zapping robots use high-powered UV light to kill 99.9 percent of bacteria and viruses on surfaces. Staggered appointments are used to minimize the number of people in a given area.
A colonoscopy screening can prevent colorectal cancer by detecting polyps that can easily be removed. If you or someone you know is diagnosed with cancer, the team of medical and radiation oncologists, surgeons and clinical support staff at Peeples Cancer Institute (PCI) are prepared to provide state-of-the-art care in a healing, nurturing environment. PCI centralizes all oncology care in one location, further enhancing physician collaboration and quality patient care.
Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month was established in 2000 as an annual opportunity to raise awareness about the disease and focus on research into its cause, prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship. The goal is to support those affected by colorectal cancer and encourage health-promoting behaviors like getting screened, staying active, and eating a balanced diet. According to the CDC, among cancers that affect both men and women, colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States and is the third most common cancer in men and women.
