July is the hottest month of the year in Massachusetts. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, extreme heat is the leading weather-related cause of death in the U.S., killing more than 700 people every year.

January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, a good time to shine a light on the disease and the importance of regular screening in its prevention. While once the most common cause of cancer death for women, cervical cancer death rates have decreased significantly with greater use of the Pap test, which can find changes in the cervix before cancer develops or detect it early when it is easier to treat.

While there has been a decline in colorectal cancer death rates in older adults for several decades, in people under age 50, colorectal cancer death rates have been on the rise since the mid-2000s, increasing by 2.4% annually. Mandeep Saund, MD, discusses risk factors, symptoms, treatments and the importance of screening in the prevention and early detection of colorectal cancer.

Your primary care provider has recommended you have your first colonoscopy. Mandeep Saund, MD answers frequently asked questions and explains why colorectal screening is so important for the prevention and early detection of cancer.