National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month

Well, it has been a long month with a lot going on, so I’ve put off things that I’m not excited about until the last minute.  I guess that is something we all do, especially people over fifty.  You see, this month is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month which serves as a reminder to get a colonoscopy.  Over 30% of Connecticut residents over 50 have never been screened for colon cancer and colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed among men and women in our state.  It is also the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Health officials estimate that 60 percent of these deaths could be prevented with regular screening.

Besides putting it off under the guise of just not having enough time, another convenient excuse is by people who are uninsured or underinsured saying they just can’t afford a screening.  However, CHC provides a Colorectal Cancer Early Detection Program which offers free screenings and education to eligible men and women who are uninsured or underinsured and have low incomes.

Sometimes, people just aren’t aware of what colorectal cancer is or why screenings are important.  To address this, our Patient Files goes into details about these and related topics.  For more information, you can also check out the Department of Public Health webpage about National Colorectal Cancer as well as their special site, Stay in The Game CT.

Okay.  I guess that does it.  I’ve written my National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month blog post for 2011.  It wasn’t really that painful, it was an important thing to do, and I’m glad it’s over.  If you’re over 50, you should go out and get screened.  You’ll probably feel the same way when it’s over for you.