Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month 2021

Sign up for a screening in March and Get A Goodie Bag.

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In 1999, the Prevent Cancer Foundation led the charge to designate March as National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month

The aim of this campaign is to increase awareness about colon cancer and help decrease preventable deaths from colorectal cancer.

More than 50,000 Americans die each year from colorectal cancer, and the number is growing rapidly for those under the age of 50.

The tragic thing is that most of these deaths could have—and should have—been prevented.

Regular screening tests can prevent most colorectal cancers.

Your individual risk factors – such as ethnicity, lifestyle and family history – will determine when you should start getting checked.

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People with a history of colorectal cancer in a first-degree relative (parent, sibling, or child) are at an increased risk for colorectal cancer.

Here are some websites that might be helpful if you’re interested in putting together your family’s health history:

Stool-based tests: These tests check the stool (feces) for signs of cancer. The tests are less invasive and easier to have done, but they need to be done more often

Visual (structural) exams: These tests look at the structure of the colon and rectum for any abnormal areas. This is done either with a scope (a tube-like instrument with a light and tiny video camera on the end) put into the rectum, or with special imaging (x-ray) tests.

Get in touch with your primary doctor or gastroenterologist to discuss colon screening.

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