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Screening can prevent even more colon cancer: ACS

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Colon cancer’s been on the run for nearly 30 years and the American Cancer Society wants to keep it that way.

The Atlanta-based group is launching a high-profile campaign, featuring the likes of newscaster Katie Couric, to encourage more people to have their colons examined. This year alone, according to the society, colon cancer will strike about 141,000 Americans and kill more than a third of them.

Screening via colonoscopy or its 3D cousin, virtual colonoscopy, isn’t the only way to reduce the risk of developing the cancer, which is the third-most-lethal type of the disease. Half an hour of daily exercise, not smoking, taking it easy on red meats and alcohol and keeping the punds off can all help reduce the risk, according to the ACS.

"A recent study found that about one-quarter of colorectal cancer cases could be avoided by following a healthy lifestyle," according to an ACS report.

For Couric, who’s launching a "Make That Call" campaign with New York City health officials, the message is personal. She lost a husband to colon cancer and has long encouraged people to be screened once a year. The campaign will urge New Yorkers ages 50 and over to make a screening appointment, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Meanwhile, the use of virtual colonoscopy is on the rise even though it’s not covered by Medicare, according to data from the American Hospital Assn. Computerized tomographic colonography provides a 3-D image that allows doctors to view the entire colon and rectum. The use of CTC increased from 13 percent of hospitals in 2005 to 17 percent of hospitals in 2008, according to the data, published in theJournal of the American College of Radiology.

"Our study is unique in that we show expansion even in the absence of Medicare reimbursement for CTC for general screening. CTC’s relatively easy implementation coupled with patient acceptance makes CTC a tool that holds promise for the future of colorectal cancer prevention," lead author Megan McHugh said in prepared remarks.

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