TRICARE provides free prostate, colon cancer screenings Published Sept. 3, 2009 By Tyler Patterson TriWest Healthcare Alliance VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The life saved might be a friend's, a father's, a son's or even your own. When it comes to prostate and colon cancer, the most effective treatment is early detection--and that makes regular screening a key component of everyone's personal wellness roadmap. According to the National Cancer Institute, the five-year survival rate for colon cancer patients who catch and treat their illness early is nearly 90 percent, proof that regular cancer screenings can be the difference between life and death. Most men should have exams for prostate and colon cancers annually, beginning at age 50. Depending on personal and family medical history, however, a primary care manager may prescribe patient examinations more or less frequently. People should consult their healthcare team to develop a screening regimen based on their own unique needs. Colon cancer screening and prostate cancer screening are TRICARE-covered benefits that require no copayments and no authorization; a patient can just make his appointment and go. Encouraging others to get their examination -- friends, fathers and sons -- just might end up saving their life! Visit www.triwest.com/healthyliving for more information.