By Leah Moriarty
Cancer is a tricky topic, but spreading awareness for all variants A – Z is crucial in preventing
loss. As directed by your physician, getting screened regularly is one of the best things you can
do in working towards preventing it. Many cancers can be caught early, which can help guide
you and your loved ones to better results when battling these diseases. Many factors could add
up to how many screens are recommended over the course of your life, family background can
increase vulnerability, and your ethnic and racial background could lead you to be more at risk
for certain cancers over others.
Screening for cancer is a unique process for everyone, and it essentially means checking your
body for any signs of cancer BEFORE you have any symptoms. Your doctor and care team will
be with you to help make sure you’re getting the care that best suits you, and most importantly
comfortable for you, this can stem from physical exams with your medical history to genetic
tests which analyze specific changes in chromosomes or genes that could be signs of specific
cancers. If you don’t have a doctor you can always contact your local health department or
hospital for help.
To shine a dim spotlight – colon/rectal cancer is almost always the result of abnormal growths
in your rectum or colon. But when you have a planned schedule that ensures you’re getting the
proper amount of screenings and care it can help counter the outcome of not catching it in time.
And when found early, in reference to colorectal cancer, in the best-case scenario, the growths
aren’t cancerous and usually even removable.
As we all know cancer when not caught soon enough is deadly, and when you lose a loved
one it can often result in grief; From shock leading into disbelief, lashing out on the littlest
irritations, guilt, and intense sorrow. Everyone will experience it differently, and it’s all-natural
and eventually unavoidable, but that time doesn’t have to be now. Helping create awareness of
cancer screenings can prevent so many untimely losses. You could be the reason for
prevention in a loved one’s life. So to wrap it up, set up an appointment and spread the word,
information is contagious, and this information is a great notable thing to catch. Close the care
gap!
To learn more about cancer in general, I recommend visiting these organizations:
https://www.paho.org/en/campaigns/world-cancer-day-2022-close-care-gap
https://www.aacr.org/patients-caregivers/awareness-months/ ]
