The month isn't even halfway over and I've already noticed greater attention to Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month this year. President Obama issued a proclamation officially declaring March 2014 Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Dozens of groups are pledging to join the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable in a nationwide effort to increase colorectal cancer screening rates to 80% by 2018. And events are happening across the country to raise awareness about the importance of colorectal cancer screening.
On Wednesday, ACS CAN staff in New York set up a giant, inflatable colon in the Legislative Office Building in Albany to announce support of the 80% by 2018 goal. Legislators and visitors to the State Capitol could walk through the inflatable colon and learn all about colorectal cancer prevention, and local hospitals set up exhibits on screening. The local political blogs even wrote about what an impact the inflatable colon made.
The event was a success, and was a very creative way to get an important message across: colorectal cancer can be completely prevented by screening. With more efforts like this to raise awareness about the importance of screening and early detection, and a commitment from lawmakers to make advances in public policy that provide all people with access to these screenings, I do believe we can reach the 80% screening by 2018 goal.
Even as Breast Cancer Awareness Month comes to a close, ACS CAN will keep working year-round, across the country and with both state and federal lawmakers, to advance the public policies we know will reduce the burden of breast cancer.