March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, which makes it the perfect time to talk to your doctor about colorectal cancer and what you can do to prevent it.

According to the American Society of Colon & Rectal Surgeons, colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the U.S., but it can be prevented and cured if detected and treated early. So it is vital to have your colon checked beginning at age 50, and earlier if you have a family history of colorectal cancer.

Click on the links below to learn more about Saint Vincent's colorectal cancer specialists, or call one of these practices to schedule your colorectal cancer screening today! Scroll down to learn more about colorectal cancer and to read the story one woman's successful fight against colon cancer because of her regular screening.

Saint Vincent Health Insights is a news feature on WICU-12 that highlights different  services and advances in health care at Saint Vincent. Click on the button to the left to  learn more about colonoscopy and find out why it's not that bad! This video features  an interview with Saint Vincent colorectal surgeon Patrick Recio, DO, FACS, FASCRS.

These Health Insights videos offer addditional information on colorectal cancer, including how to prevent it, screening methods and how to treat it.
Colorectal Cancer Overview - Risk Factors & How to Prevent
(featuring Patrick Recio, DO, FACS)
Early Detection
(featuring Saint Vincent general surgeon Scott Bedwell, MD, and Patrick Recio, DO, FACS)
Minimally Invasive Surgical Treatment
(featuring a colorectal cancer patient and Patrick Recio, DO, FACS)
Surgical Options
(featuring Scott Bedwell, MD)
Ask the Doctor
(featuring Scott Bedwell, MD, and Patrick Recio, DO, FACS)

Patient Success

Going HD in the OR (Lake Erie Lifestyle, August 2011)
Many women, when turning 50 years old, want to commemorate the event in a special way, say with a diamond necklace or a day at a spa.  Not Teresa Przepierski. She scheduled a colonoscopy, which did not surprise her friends or family. Teresa is a health advocate who religiously keeps appointments for all her exams, blood pressure readings, cholesterol levels and her heart health. She was a regular jogger, cyclist and maintains a healthy weight. 

What was surprising was the finding of a cancerous polyp. Read the rest of Teresa's succcess story by clicking here to read the full story as published in the August 2011 edition of Lake Erie Lifestyle.