 And she died when she was only 56, so this is personal. Now, hopefully, my heartbreak is your wake-up call. Colorectal cancer is the second leading cancer killer. But you can prevent this disease. Screening finds precancerous polyps so that they can be removed before they turn into cancer. I've been screened. If you think that you're at an increased risk like I am, ask your doctor when to start screening. And if you're 50 or older, get screened.