Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in Iowa according to the Iowa Department of Public Health.

But it’s also one of the most preventable kinds of cancer and is highly treatable if detected early.

All Iowans aged 50 and older are recommended to get screened for colorectal, also referred to as colon, cancer. Physician Assistant Rebecca Kuehn with Mercy Family Medicine of Kalona talks about the benefits of getting a colonoscopy, “Specifically with colon cancer the screening can be preventative, because if you find a polyp with the potential to become cancer you’ll remove it and it won’t become cancer. If we didn’t know that that type of polyp was there and it was left, and over time it became cancer, then you would be diagnosed when you have colon cancer. So it really is preventative.”

A polyp is a small clump of cells that forms on the lining of the colon. Most polyps are harmless, but over time they can develop into cancer which is often fatal when found in later stages, according to the Mayo Clinic. March is recognized as Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month in Iowa.