Michael Anthony Scales moved to Hampton Roads, Virginia with his family after a big layoff at his previous job. While living in the area, he discovered something that is not unique to Hampton Roads - colorectal cancer. He learned that the area has one of the highest levels of colorectal cancer among Blacks in the nation. Scales started experiencing constant constipation, black stool, and blood in his stool. He ignored it for weeks until his wife discovered it and convinced him to have a colonoscopy. The screening caught the disease just in time, and with basic treatment, a change in diet, and follow-up tests, the symptoms ended. Dr. Rod L. Flynn, a cancer surgeon, notes that colorectal cancer is one of the easiest to treat to deter death if detected early through screenings. Flynn suggests that Black people over the age of 45 should consider periodic screenings for cancer to include colon and prostate cancer. Despite healthcare disparities and factors of distrust, it is important to adhere to doctor's instructions and undergo treatments if diagnosed.
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