“Don’t Assume”

That’s the message the Colorectal Cancer Alliance is stressing throughout National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month this March. The team at Cucamonga Valley Medical Group couldn’t agree more with this approach.

• Don’t assume you’re too young for colorectal cancer.
• Don’t assume that you don’t need to be screened simply because you’re not experiencing symptoms.
• Don’t assume that a colonoscopy is painful or that it is your only option for a screening.
• Don’t assume you’re alone.

The statistics

The facts are that colorectal cancer is the fourth-most common cancer in the United States but the second-most common cause of cancer death in the country after lung cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program.

• There are 135,430 diagnoses per year.
• There are 50,260 deaths annually.
• The five-year survival rate after initial diagnosis is 65 percent.
• The median age at diagnosis is 67.

Challenge the misconceptions

The goal this month? Let’s challenge assumptions and misconceptions about colorectal cancer by dispelling myths, raising awareness, and connecting people across the country with information and support.

Once people stop assuming, they tend to make better – and healthier – decisions such as getting screened, watching for symptoms or reaching out for support.