Dear Colleague,

This month is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Now is a good time to review screening recommendations, both for yourself and your patients. Here we go:

• For patients at average-risk, screening should begin at age 50.
• Patients at increased-risk are those with a family history of hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer or familial adenomatous polyposis, a family or personal history of colon cancer, or a history of inflammatory bowel disease. It is recommended that these patients begin screening at age 40 or at the age of a first-degree relative with colorectal cancer at diagnosis minus 10 years.
• Screening tests recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force include:
  
  
  • Colonoscopy every 10 years
• High-sensitivity fecal occult blood test every year

• Symptom Distress and Self-care Strategies of Colorectal Cancer Patients With Diarrhea Up to 3 Months After Surgery Insights Into Barriers That Prevent African Americans From Seeking Colorectal Screenings: A Qualitative Study Helping Patients Combat Colon Cancer Early Assessment of Nutritional Status in Patients Scheduled for Colorectal Cancer Surgery Colon Cancer Screening: Recommendations and Barriers to Patient Participation Hereditary Colorectal Cancer in the Gastroenterology Clinic: How Common Are At-Risk Patients and How Do We Find Them?

  Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years.

For more information on colorectal cancer screening, visit The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Cancer Institute, American Cancer Society, and U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.
    
Also, be sure to peruse the articles in More Resources for more information about screening, symptom management, treatment, and more. Our next issue will focus on pain management, and as always, we’ll bring you the latest articles and CE opportunities too!

Lisa Bonsall, MSN, RN, CRNP
Clinical Editor

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