Temple Hospital is offering tours of a giant colon so you’ll take better care of yours

Temple Health is giving tours of a giant, inflatable colon Wednesday to boost awareness about colorectal cancer.

The illness affects roughly one in 23 men and one in 26 women, according to the American Cancer Society, and is expected to kill more than 52,500 people this year. Colon cancer rates are rising among people under age 55, even as overall incidence declines, according to new data from the American Cancer Society.

The colon tours are available Wednesday from noon to 3 p.m. at Temple’s Boyer Pavilion, at 3509 N. Broad St. in Philadelphia. Visitors will learn about the colon and how to prevent and treat colorectal cancer. They can also get free fecal immunochemical test kits, a less invasive alternative to a colonoscopy, the standard colon cancer screening.

Fox Chase Cancer Center is also displaying a giant inflatable colon at the Lippincott Resource and Education Center on March 17 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Fecal immunochemical tests allow people to take a stool sample at home and mail it to a lab, where it is tested for blood, an indication of potential colon cancer. Anyone whose results are abnormal will need a colonoscopy to check for cancer.

Colon and rectal cancers are the fourth most common cancers in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and have the fourth highest death rate. Lung and prostate cancer, and breast cancer in women, are the only cancers more common and more deadly. Pennsylvania’s incidence of colorectal cancer, 38.5 cases per 100,000 people, is higher than the national rate of 36 cases per 100,000 people.

The American Cancer Society recommends colonoscopies once every 10 years for people 45 to 75 with an average risk of developing the cancer. During a colonoscopy, doctors can remove any precancerous polyps and send samples for further testing. People who have had polyps are considered higher risk and will likely need screening more frequently.

The society also recommends sampling stool annually. If colorectal cancers are spotted before they spread, survival rates are 90% or better. People should talk to their doctor about what type of screening and frequency is appropriate for them.

Family history, genetics, and bowel conditions like Crohn’s Disease all increase people’s risk of developing colorectal cancers. Lifestyle risk factors include a lack of regular physical activity; a diet low in fiber, fruits, and vegetables; high processed meat and alcohol consumption; tobacco use, and obesity, the CDC reported.

» READ MORE: This N.J. man was 31 when diagnosed with colon cancer, a disease on the rise among younger adults