Wear Blue for Colon Cancer Awareness

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – March 1, 2011 – Blue is the new black during the month of March.

StopColonCancerNow.com and the Colon Cancer Alliance want you to think about colon cancer prevention when you see blue. They are encouraging all Americans to wear blue on March 4 to generate public awareness for colon cancer prevention as part of National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.

Many organizations nationwide will be participating in the third annual National Dress in Blue Day event.

“Colon cancer is the second deadliest form of cancer in the United States, yet more than 80 percent of cases could be prevented with timely screenings,” said Dr. John W. Popp , Jr., medical advisor for StopColonCancerNow.com.  “As part of the Stop Colon Cancer Now community of physicians, we are doing everything we can to increase screenings, and wearing blue is a fun way that we can help to spread that message. A colonoscopy is the most effective method of screening for colon cancer, because it allows both diagnosis and treatment at the same time.”

Patients should talk to their doctors about being screened for colon cancer if they are 50 years old or older (45 years for African Americans) or have a family history of colon cancer or polyps.

Since 2009, the Colon Cancer Alliance (CCA) has promoted Dress in Blue Day as a national opportunity to raise awareness about colon cancer screening and prevention.

Each year more than 150,000 people are diagnosed with colon cancer and more than 50,000 people die from the disease – making it the nation’s second leading cancer killer.

About StopColonCancerNow.com
StopColonCancerNow.com is a community of more than 700 physicians who have joined forces to promote education and awareness about colon cancer screening and prevention. AmSurg, provider of one in every 10 colonoscopies in the United States, launched the campaign in 2009 as part of its commitment to provide the highest level of care and information to people at risk for colon cancer. For more information on colon cancer and the importance of screening, visit www.StopColonCancerNow.com.

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