The Lake Cumberland area has some of the highest rates of
colon cancer in Kentucky but has some of the lowest rates of colon cancer
screening, according to the Lake Cumberland District Health Department.
Colorectal cancer is a type of cancer that occurs in either
the colon or the rectum and is the second-leading cause of cancer death and the
third most common cancer in both men and women in the United States. There is
strong evidence that screening for colorectal cancer reduces mortality by
detecting the cancer early when treatments are more effective. You should begin
screening for colorectal cancer soon after turning 50, then continue getting
screened at regular intervals. However, you may need to be tested earlier than
50, or more often than other people, if you or a close relative have had
colorectal polyps or colorectal cancer or if you have an inflammatory bowel
disease