Cancer is a topic that elicits various emotions, including fear and sadness. I have personally lost my mother to colon cancer and my brother to pancreatic cancer. This makes this topic particularly sensitive for me. Still, it’s important that we discuss and confront this topic and not avoid it.
March marks National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, a time to emphasize the importance of awareness. Raising awareness is critical to support healthy lifestyle choices. It encourages early screening, which can help detect and prevent issues sooner.
The Center for Disease and Control and Prevention (CDC) states, “Getting screened for colorectal cancer starting at age 45 can save your life. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cancer killer in the United States. But it doesn’t have to be. Routine screening for colorectal cancer beginning at age 45 can save lives! Screening finds abnormal growths so they can be removed before they turn into cancer.”
Did you know that CCR is one of the leading causes of cancer death in the US? The Colorectal Cancer Alliance (CCA) is the nation’s largest nonprofit organization focused on colorectal cancer. It is dedicated and working hard to end colorectal cancer within our lifetime.
According to the CCA, “being physically active reduces your risk of colon cancer by 25%”! The benefits of regular exercise are immense and can’t be overstated—but that’s a conversation for another time.
Please visit the Colorectal Cancer Alliance to learn more about screening, prevention, symptoms, risk factors and more.