Colorectal cancer is a lethal disease, but certainly a preventable one if screenings are done at the appropriate time and intervals. Education and screening are the keys to preventing colorectal cancer.

Colonoscopy has proven to be an effective method for preventing colorectal cancer by detecting and removing polyps that have the potential to develop into colorectal cancer as well as finding early cancers that are more effectively treated.

I think colorectal cancer is underestimated in women because of the heightened awareness of lung and breast cancers. Women are more educated on breast cancer awareness and the need for regular gynecological exams. This is most likely secondary to the lack of education women receive on colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer in women, and it's the third leading cause of cancer-related death in women.

Once symptoms develop, the rate for a successful cure decreases.

Breast cancer is the disease that, for a long time, women feared the most. In this country, we're so focused on physical looks. We tie the issue of femininity to physical appearance, and people think primarily of breast cancer that threatens your breasts -- though those who have it realize, more significantly, that it threatens your life.