The American Cancer Society is raising awareness about early detection for colorectal cancer during Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month in March. Colorectal cancer is the leading cause of death in men and the second in women under 50 years old. Even more alarming, only about 20 percent of people ages 45-49 are getting screened for colorectal cancer.
Colorectal Cancer Screening Saves Lives
Here’s the bottom line: Colorectal cancer has a 91% survival rate when found early. If you’re 45 or older and don’t have symptoms, now is the perfect time to show yourself some love and get screened.
Regular colorectal cancer screening can find and remove lesions before they become cancer, and everyone age 45 and older is encouraged to talk to a doctor about colorectal cancer screening.
The ACS I Love You Get Screened activation will drive awareness of colorectal cancer and drive people to talk to a doctor and visit cancer.org/getscreened.
If you’re age 45+, talk to a doctor about colorectal cancer screening.
- Share information about screening with your friends and family.
- Engage and share information from ACS brand social channels.
- Learn more at cancer.org/getscreened.
- Use the ACS CancerRisk360 tool to assess your risk and share the tool with others. There’s no sure way to prevent colorectal cancer, but you may be able to lower your risk for colorectal cancer by changing the risk factors you can control.
Colorectal Cancer Facts
- Cancer screening is for people without symptoms.
- Only 20% of people aged 45-49 years are getting screened for colorectal cancer.
- When colorectal cancer is found at an early stage before it has spread, the 5-year relative survival rate is about 90%.
- There are several testing options for colorectal cancer screening – the most important thing is to get screened, no matter which test you choose.
- About 1 in 3 people in the United States who should get tested for colorectal cancer have never been screened.
- Regular colorectal cancer screening can find and remove lesions before they become cancer.
- Colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in men and women combined.
- Screening can prevent colorectal cancer through the detection and removal of precancerous growths (polyps), and it can often detect cancer at an early stage, when treatment is usually more successful.
- More than half of all colorectal cancers in the US are attributable to potentially modifiable risk factors, such as smoking, an unhealthy diet, high alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, and excess body weight.
- If 80% of the eligible population stayed up to date with screening, more than a quarter of a million (277,000) colorectal cancer cases and 203,000 deaths could be prevented.
