March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Colorectal cancer is the 4th most common type of cancer in the United States. It is cancer of either the colon or the rectum, the lower part of the large intestine.
This March, the Colorectal Cancer Alliance’s 2019 public awareness campaign is titled “Don’t Assume”. Many patients are assuming it won’t happen to them, that they are “too young”, or that they aren’t at risk because they don’t see anything wrong.
These statements are far from the truth. Assumptions such as these have contributed to an increase in the prevalence of colon cancer. Don’t make these assumptions. If you have a parent with colon cancer diagnosed at a young age, screening can begin as young as age 20. Talk with your doctor today to discuss when screening should begin for YOU.