What? Dress in Blue Day lets allies everywhere join our mission to end colorectal cancer. By wearing blue you bring awareness to this disease—as well as honor all who are impacted by colorectal cancer.
When? Dress in Blue Day is Friday, March 6. All of March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.
Why? This year, more than 147,000 people will be diagnosed with this highly preventable disease. They will join more than 1.4 million colorectal cancer patients and survivors living today. We go blue for them, their families, and their community.
Anyone can get colorectal cancer (CRC). The lifetime risk for colorectal cancer is 5%, or one in 20. Colorectal cancer affects both men and women, as well as people of all ages, races, and ethnicities. It is one of the only truly preventable cancers thanks to screening.
In March 2014, American Cancer Society released data showing colon cancer incidence rates have dropped 30% in the U.S. in the last 10 years among adults ages 50 and older due to the widespread uptake of colonoscopy, with the largest decrease occurring in those ages 65 and older.
The likelihood of dying from colorectal cancer has been decreasing due to screening.
Over 60% of deaths from colorectal cancer could be avoided with screening.
Over 90% of people diagnosed with colorectal cancer are over age 50. As we age, we are more likely to grow colon polyps which may undergo gene changes that turn normal tissue into cancer.
Talk to your Doctor about appropriate screening (including colonoscopy) to decrease your risk. I am happy to meet you in the office or even at the facility to get your colonoscopy done. Call us at GP Clinic to set it up at your convenience.
What else you can do to decrease your risk:
Don’t smoke, and if you do, stop smoking
Increase your physical activity (get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity each week)
Maintain a healthy body weight
Avoid overall body fat, especially fat around your waist
Reduce how much red meat and processed meats you eat
Check out this great resource – https://fightcolorectalcancer.org/
Don’t forget to wear blue! – Andrew Pitzak D.O.