It’s Colon Cancer Awareness Month and this is an opportunity to pause and think about the realities of this disease. Consider these facts:

·         Colorectal Cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer and second leading cause of cancer death.

·         In 2009, the American Cancer Society estimated 146,970 new Colorectal Cancer cases were diagnosed and 49,920 cases resulted in death.

·         Early detection is vital—over 80% of all cases of Colorectal Cancer can be prevented with recommended screening.

·         Leaders in the field have estimated that by adopting recommended Colorectal Cancer screening guidelines, 30,000 lives could be saved annually.

 

All of these facts are shocking. First of all, whenever I mention, ”Colorectal Cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death,” people don’t believe me. My own family members who work in healthcare think I’m wrong. Most people tend to believe that lung cancer, then breast cancer, then other types of cancer are claiming the most lives. Many times I have pulled out my iPhone during one of these conversations and shown disbelievers websites that verify my claim. 

 

For mainstream America, the incidence of Colorectal Cancer unfortunately appears to be a well-kept secret. With an estimated 50,000 deaths annually, how can this be?  All of us, including the media, need to focus on this cancer, which in most cases can be treated if detected early. 

 

What can we do? I recently went to a forum that celebrated achievements in reducing the incidence of Colorectal Cancer and discussed opportunities to expand screening to underserved populations. After a whole morning spent discussing options, however, there was still no clear solution for increasing awareness in a significant way. Yes, we should pass legislation that would expand screening benefits to more people in the Medicare population. Yes, we should spend money on public service announcements. And, yes, we must break down real and perceived barriers to screening. But, if we’re to really hit mainstream America and make an impact and get people running to their doctors saying, ‘I’d like a colonoscopy,’ we’re need  to generate an  up-swell of grassroots support that includes letter writing to insurance companies, letters to editors of newspapers and magazines, and getting comfortable with the idea of talking about our backsides. If you’ve got specific ideas on how this can be achieved, let me know.