Prevent colon cancer in less than an hour

Regular screenings for colon cancer can catch the deadly disease before it even begins, according to doctors at Baylor College of Medicine.

?Colon cancer is known as the silent killer because symptoms are not present until it?s too late,? said Dr. Waqar Qureshi, professor of medicine and chief of endoscopy at Baylor.

Symptoms include rectal bleeding, abdominal pain, weight loss or anemia. But if symptoms are apparent, then it?s more than likely the cancer has already spread. Screening can catch precancerous growths at a time when life-saving treatments are still effective.

A colonoscopy is the most accurate way to find precancerous growths. A colonoscopy takes up to 20 minutes, and patients are sedated so most don?t even remember the procedure.

?Usually screenings start at age 50 and continue every 10 years after that,? said Qureshi. ?However, if colon cancer runs in your family, screenings should be more frequent and begin sooner.?