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March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.

Friday, March 7, is “Dress in Blue Day” to help raise awareness of colorectal cancer.

Saturday, March 8, the Marengo County Community Associates will have a special Colorectal Cancer Awareness event to help raise awareness and promote early detection. From 10 a.m. to noon, free blood colon cancer screening tests will be done at the Theo Ratliff Activity Center in Demopolis. There will also be a presentation by Dr. Remona Peterson.

According to colorectalcancer.org, “Colorectal cancer is the fourth most commonly diagnosed cancer in the U.S. and the second leading cause of cancer death. Yet this cancer can be prevented with screening and is highly treatable when detected early.

“One in 24 people will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer in their lifetime.

“The American Cancer Society estimates that 154,270 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with colon and rectal cancer in 2025, and 52,900 will die from the disease. The number of people who have died from colorectal cancer has steadily decreased since the mid-1980s due to increased screening and changing lifestyles.”

While the average age of diagnosis is 66 for both men and women, it is recommended that everyone 45 or older should be screened. If your risk factors are higher, you might want to talk to your doctor about being screened even earlier.

“In the U.S., about 10% of colon cancer cases are diagnosed in people under 50. Those numbers are rising about one to two percent each year, and researchers are still finding out why. Young adults are the only population group experiencing an increase in colorectal cancer.” 

For more information about the event, contact BBCF Community Associate for Marengo County, Edward Oates at 908-310-8899.