One woman’s loss of a friend and sister to colon cancer led to the planning of the very first Get Your Rear in Gear run in 2004, which grew into a national effort to raise awareness and funds called the Colon Cancer Coalition.
This year, the Coalition is hosting an event, Runway for a Cure and Booty Ball, in Philadelphia on March 23, with an aim to raise money to help remove barriers to screening for underinsured and uninsured people. Additionally, they will educate the public about early detection and screening, reduce financial burdens for patients and fund research to help fight and end colon cancer.
To be held in at Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia, the evening will include dinner and dancing, along with silent and live auctions. A highlight will be a runway fashion show featuring colon cancer survivors and thrivers who will serve as the models.
Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
With Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month coming up in March, it serves as an ideal time to be reminded that a very important thing to understand about colorectal cancer, which is cancer of the colon or rectum, is that if it’s caught soon, chances of survival are high.
It’s a type of cancer where you might not experience any symptoms in the early stages, which is a primary reason regular screenings are critical if you want to avoid becoming a statistic.
The American Cancer Society estimates there will be 152,810 new cases of colon and rectum cancer cases this year and 53,010 deaths. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, the flagship journal of the American Cancer Society, published findings that include the expected number of new cancer cases and death by sex for 2024 nationally: 81,540 new cases and 28,700 deaths are expected for men in 2024 and 71,270 new cases and 24,310 deaths for women. These numbers illustrate the fact that colorectal cancer is more common in men than women.
Estimated new cases Pennsylvania
Among the total number of new colon and rectal cases for both men and women, 6,550 are estimated to occur in Pennsylvania; 78% of newly diagnosed patients are age 55 and older.
According to the Cancer Society, screening by colonoscopy can prevent colorectal cancer because precancerous polyps found during the procedure can be removed at the same time, so many cases are preventable.
“Colonoscopy can also detect the cancer at early stages, when treatment is more likely to be successful,” states the Cancer Society on their website. “The five-year relative survival rate for cancer localized to the colon or rectum is 90.9%, according to the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program. The survival rate drops significantly as the cancer spreads beyond those organs.”
Regular screening
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that regular screening, beginning at age 45, if at normal risk, is the key to preventing colorectal cancer.
“If you’re 45 to 75 years old, get screened for colorectal cancer regularly,” the CDC recommends on its website. “If you’re younger than 45 and think you may be at high risk of getting colorectal cancer, or if you’re older than 75, talk to your doctor about screening.”
Possible symptoms that you should bring to the attention of your doctor to rule out colorectal cancer include a change in bowel habits, blood in or on your stool, diarrhea, constipation or feeling the bowel doesn’t empty all the way, abdominal pain, aches or cramps that don’t go away and unexplained weight loss.
At-home screening tests
There are several different types of screening tests to consider beyond a colonoscopy, and it is recommended to discuss the pros and cons of each with your doctor, along with frequency.
Like a colonoscopy, these tests can be used to find polyps or colorectal cancer. Some you can even do at home, such as these three tests, which involve testing of the stool: guaiac-based fecal occult blood text (gFOBT), fecal immunochemical test (FIT) and the FIT-DNA test. Other screening tests, which are performed by a specialist, include flexible sigmoidoscopy and CT colonography (virtual colonoscopy).
The good news is you’re not powerless with convenient opportunities available to learn more and take action to get screened. The Colon Cancer Coalition’s website offers many ways to get involved in their mission to end colorectal cancer deaths by increasing screening and educating others about signs and symptoms.
Whether you want to attend an event, participate as a runner or volunteer your time, they offer many resources, along with a library of educational material so you can empower yourself to get educated about colon cancer.
More information
Runway for a Cure and Booty Ball
What: An evening filled with dinner, dancing, silent and live auctions and an inspiring runway fashion show featuring colon cancer survivors and thrivers as the runway models.
When: March 23, 6 p.m.
Where: Live! Casino and Hotel, 900 Packer Ave, Philadelphia
Purchase tickets: www.one.bidpal.net/runwayforacure/ticketing
For more information: www.coloncancercoalition.org
Colorectal cancer educational materials
Preventing colorectal cancer is a big part of the Colon Cancer Coalition’s mission. Prevention is largely accomplished through on-time screening and education. That’s why they created a library of educational materials vetted by their Medical Advisory Council and available to order, download and share with patients, family, friends, co-workers and other loved ones: https://coloncancercoalition.org/get-educated/info-materials.
About the Colon Cancer Coalition
The Colon Cancer Coalition is a national coalition of people determined to end colorectal cancer deaths by increasing screening and educating others about the signs and symptoms of this treatable disease. We want all people to understand their risk factors and get the right screening at the right time.
