With the observance of March as  National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, NYC Health + Hospitals on Wednesday urged New Yorkers 45 to 75 years old to get routine screening to prevent colon cancer or help find it early, when it is easier to treat.

NYC Health + Hospitals said colorectal cancer, also known as colon cancer, occurs in the colon or rectum and is the second-leading cause of cancer death in New York City.

NYC Health + Hospitals said it offers colonoscopies and FIT kits to help prevent colon cancer or find it early when it is more treatable.

“When colon cancer is detected at an early stage, the 5-year relative survival rate is about 90 percent; however, only 4 out of 10 colon cancers are found this early,” it said. “Often, colon cancer does not show signs or symptoms until it grows or spreads, which is why it is important to screen for it regularly.”

NYC Health + Hospitals said symptoms of colon cancer can include blood in the stool or rectum, sudden weight loss, and diarrhea or constipation that doesn’t go away.

“New Yorkers should talk to their doctor if they experience any of these symptoms,” it said.

“Colorectal cancer screening in ambulatory care is paramount, as early detection can save lives and significantly improve patient outcomes,” Dr. said Joseph Williams, deputy chief medical officer, NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health. “At Gotham Health, our Care Teams place a high emphasis on outreach, patient education, and data analysis, to improve colorectal cancer screening.”

NYC Health + Hospitals said if you get a FIT, your provider at any of its facilities will send you home with a test kit.

“You will use a brush to obtain a small amount of stool (poop), then return the test kit by mail or to the lab for testing,” it said. “The FIT kit should be completed once a year, as long as blood is not detected in your stool. If blood is detected, you may need a follow-up colonoscopy.”

“If you’re between ages 45-75, get screened for colon cancer,” urged Dr. Nichola Davis, vice president and chief population health officer at NYC Health + Hospitals. “FIT is an easy, less invasive alternative and a way to do routine screenings. The test can be done from the comfort of your home.

“We’ve made considerable strides in improving the effectiveness of our colorectal cancer screening programs with FIT,” she added. “We now distribute prepaid envelopes to make it easier for patients to return the FIT, and have enhanced data that makes it easy for us to track screening and follow-up for our patients. Screening saves lives.”

NYC Health + Hospitals said A colonoscopy is a procedure in which a doctor inserts a flexible tube with a camera on the end (colonoscope) into your rectum to check for signs of cancer.

It said the doctor can find and remove most small growths and some cancers.

“Colonoscopies have a low risk for complication and are usually painless, as you are asleep during the procedure,” NYC Health + Hospitals said.

“Regular screening is the key to preventing colorectal cancer,” said Dr. Andrew Wallach, Ambulatory Care Chief Medical Officer at NYC Health + Hospitals. “Screening tests can find pre-cancerous lesions and remove them before they develop into cancer; they can also find cancers early when treatment is most effective.

“I am proud of the work of our Ambulatory Care teams, whose focus on promoting healthy lifestyles, help keep New Yorkers healthy,” he added.

NYC Health + Hospitals warned that New Yorkers are more likely to get colorectal cancer if they: Are older (the older you get, the higher your risk); have a personal history of colon cancer or polyps; have a family history of colon cancer; have certain inherited risks, such as familial adenomatous polyposis or Lynch syndrome; have inflammatory bowel disease, like ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease; do not exercise regularly; have obesity; drink alcohol; or smoke.

To lower your risk of colon cancer, NYC Health + Hospitals urged: Maintain a healthy weight; eat fewer processed meats, such as hot dogs and deli meats; if you smoke, make a plan to quit; exercise regularly; and reduce the amount and how often you drink alcohol.

NYC Health + Hospitals said on Wednesday that it screened nearly 60,000 patients for colorectal cancer in 2024, using the at-home fecal immunochemical test (FIT), a 12 percent increase over 2023.