March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and The Greenbrier Clinic encourages anyone 45 and older to have a screening colonoscopy. Colon cancer ranks as the second-leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally. In 2021, there were 141,902 new colorectal cancer cases reported in the United States. In 2022, colorectal cancer led to 52,967 deaths nationwide. The average American has a 1 in 25 chance of developing colorectal cancer during their lifetime.
The good news, according to providers at The Greenbrier Clinic, is that increased screening rates and lifestyle modifications have contributed to a decline in overall colon cancer cases. According to Labcorp, colon cancer has a 90 percent survival rate with early detection. Screening can find the warning signs of colon and rectal cancer, so you can take action to stop the disease, or discover colorectal cancer early, when treatment is most effective.
That is the goal of Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month — raising awareness surrounding the problem and encouraging individuals to make a yearly screening a part of their health routine. High risk individuals — those with a family history, inflammatory bowel disease or genetic syndromes like Lunch Syndrome, are encouraged to start their screening sooner — at age 40 or 10 years before the youngest affected family member’s diagnosis, whichever comes first.
How can you help spread the message. Dress in Blue Day is Friday, March 7. Dress in blue to bring awareness to the disease and honor those who have been impacted by it. Take a picture and use the hashtag #DressInBlueDay on social media to help spread the message even further. Need some inspiration? Visit https://colorectalcancer.org/get-involved/advocate/colorectal-cancer-awareness-month/dress-blue-day for more information on how to celebrate the day.
For more information on Colorectal Cancer, view this informational graphic provided by the American Cancer Society.
