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I hate cancer

I hate cancer, which is why I love the news this morning that the rate of colon cancer declined another 30 percent in the last decade among Americans 50 and older.

I’ve been cancer-free coming on four years after a diagnosis of prostate cancer and ensuing surgery. As all cancer survivors know, you’re never really out of the woods. But why look back? We instead look forward, ever-grateful for each new day.

Anyway, widespread screening is being credited for the drop in colon-cancer death rates — 3 percent a year between 2001 and 2010.

Way to go, Americans who heed the warnings and seek preventive screenings.

But we can do better. As James Church, a doctor at the Cleveland Clinic told the Wall Street Journal: “Every time a patient with colon cancer comes into my office, I think, ‘This didn’t need to happen. Why didn’t this person get a colonoscopy five years ago?’ “

Don’t be that guy/gal.

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