March is National Colon Cancer Awareness Month

The American Cancer Society estimates that about 108,070 new cases of colon cancer (53,760 in men and 54,310 in women) and 40,740 new cases of rectal cancer (23,490 in men and 17,250 in women) will be diagnosed (2008 statistics).

Overall, the lifetime risk for developing colorectal cancer is about 1 in 19 (5.4%). This risk is slightly higher in men than in women.

Colon cancer is genetically predisposed, however. Those with parent or family members who have suffered colon cancer face earlier testing than those without.

While there are home testing kits that look for blood in your stool, the best way to test for colon cancer is an colonoscopy, where an flexible tube with a camera is inserted (well, I won't go into more detail).

But the scope is used to thoroughly examine the large intestine, and if any polyps are found, they can be excised and later biopsied.

There is another test, and endoscopy, but that does not check the entire colon; if you are going to go through this test you might as well go all the way.

In reality, the test itself is not that bad. You are pretty much "out" the entire time. However, the prep is a pain. They require a clean colon. You can imagine what that means for patients. Yep, they have to clean out their colon by ingesting something that basically gives them a bad case of the runs.

As someone whose father died of colon cancer, I have already experienced a colonoscopy twice, and the prep ain't fun. But it's better than the lingering death I saw my father suffer.

Do yourself a favor, and think about it.