Colorectal cancer can go undetected until it’s too late, but regular screenings can help prevent this disease for those both at high and regular risk.

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and the American Cancer Society recommends both men and women who are at a regular risk for colon cancer should start regularly screening at age 45. Those with a family history of the disease or risk factors like obesity, smoking, and heavy alcohol use are advised to talk with their physician about being tested sooner.

Kim Durst with the American Cancer Society explains the importance of getting screened, “There’s like more than 50,000 people who are expected to die from this disease in this year alone. But the death rates from this cancer has been dropping in both men and women for several decades due to quite a few reasons and it’s from the regular screenings, people reaching out to their doctors if they show signs. With the regular screenings and if they do find something, you know they get the polyps removed immediately which helps so much with saving lives.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state screening tests can help find colon cancer at an early stage, when treatment is most effective. The CDC also says a diet low in animal fats and high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can help reduce the risk of several diseases, including colon cancer.