National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month: Early Detection Saves Lives

Fifteen. That is the number of major family holidays – Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, and Easter – that have passed since my father died from colon cancer in June 2013.

Although he was an intelligent, engaging physician, a common enemy, fear, made him wait until it was too late to get a screening exam. He lost his fight against this disease, despite a significant support system and compassionate, expert care from many of the finest health care institutions in the country. The ripple effect caused by the loss of his energy, enthusiasm, and productivity continues to be felt in my family and in his community.

Unfortunately, minorities are more likely to be diagnosed with and die from colorectal cancer. African Americans are more likely than any other racial or ethnic group to get colorectal cancer and die from it. It is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer among Latinos, and fewer than 40 percent of American Indian and Native Hawaiian adults have ever been screened for colorectal cancer. ¹ About 50,000 Americans die annually from colorectal cancer. More than three-quarters of those who die from the disease are racial and ethnic minorities.²

Since 2000, March has been officially dedicated as National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, yet even with increased awareness and steady increases in the number of people who are being screened, there are more than 130,000 new cases each year. Screening among those ages 50 and older reached 63 percent in 2015 and continues to rise. If screening remains at this level, an estimated 39,700 additional colorectal cancer cases and 37,200 deaths will be prevented through 2030. ³

This month and throughout the year, the Office of Minority Health (OMH) at the U.S. Department of Health and Humans Services (HHS) engages in activities that help minorities in the United States reduce their risk of developing or dying from colorectal cancer. On March 12, OMH was proud to join several private and public organizations participating in an event entitled, Dispelling Fear: A Colorectal Cancer Awareness Forum, at Mt. Ennon Baptist Church in Clinton, MD.

OMH also funds the tribal Colon Cancer Screening Project run by the Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan for three federally recognized tribes located in geographic hotspots for colon cancer. More than 1,500 members of the Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, the Bay Mills Indian Community, and the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe have attended culturally appropriate education and outreach events hosted by the project. All three communities reported significant increases in screening last year.

Here are a few resources that can help all of us prevent, treat and manage colorectal cancer:

• The Screen for Life: National Colorectal Cancer Action Campaign by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention focuses on screening tests for men and women aged 50 years and older.
• The HHS Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion provides consumer information about getting tested, along with tips for telling friends and family members about the importance of being screened for colorectal cancer, on healthfinder.gov.
• The HHS National Cancer Institute’s website provides patient information about colorectal cancer.

With colorectal cancer, early detection increases treatment options and the chance for a cure. Let’s use National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month as an opportunity to step up the fight to avoid losing more loved ones and friends to a disease that can be prevented and beaten.