Ferris Bueller Turns 50On March 21, 2012, actor Matthew Broderick turned 50.  Perhaps best known for his portrayal of the much-loved (and hated) Ferris Bueller in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986), Broderick is now at the age for his first colon cancer screening (assuming he has no prior family history of polyps or colon cancer). But will the actor who once played the quintessential goof-off show up or skip out?

“Bueller?…Bueller?…Bueller?…”

In this classic 80’s comedy, Ferris Bueller tricks his naïve parents into believing he’s sick to get out of going to school, helps his girlfriend fake a death in the family and convinces his best friend to let them drive his dad’s prized Ferrari – all in the name of a day off. But in real life, there are no days off when it comes to your health. You either lead a healthy lifestyle, including adding a regular colonoscopy to your health care practices at age 50, or you neglect your health and ignore your doctor’s health care recommendations.

“You realize if we followed the rules right now we’d be in gym class.”

Ferris Bueller may not be known as a rule-follower, but he is a man with a plan: Enjoy life to the fullest. But, if you really want to enjoy the best things in life, then you need to make colon cancer screening a top priority. Knowing the risks of colon cancer is the first step in prevention.

There is no excuse for playing hooky. The consequences are deadly. Because there are often no obvious symptoms or warning signs of colon cancer, screening is the only way to determine if you have colon polyps, which may or may not be cancerous. And for people with an average risk for developing colon cancer, your risk increases when you hit age 50. By removing colon polyps early, the odds of developing this form of cancer are much lower.

Colon cancer is treatable, but only if detected early. If, like Broderick, you are 50 years or older, you, too, have no excuse for not scheduling your first colon cancer screening. Whether or not you actually “barf up a lung,” don’t neglect your health. When the doctor calls your name, be there! Schedule your colon cancer screening colonoscopy today!

Click here for a screening facility near you.

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