If you are developing articles or promotional materials regarding Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, you may want to consider including the following ideas, whether you are writing for the general public, patients, or health care professionals. Health care professionals have unique opportunities to share information with the clients they serve. March is a good time to discuss the importance of colorectal cancer screening with patients. If you wish to write an article for health care professionals and are looking for statistics on incidence and mortality, stage at diagnosis, risk factors, or screening and diagnosis, please refer to the January 2007 Colorectal Cancer in Michigan Fact Sheet from the Michigan Department of Community Health (available as an Adobe Acrobat file).*

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• March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.

• Recent evidence shows that regular screening may be one way to reduce the risk of dying from this disease.

• Regular screening for all people age 50 and over is important because colorectal cancer can develop without any noticeable symptoms.

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• Screening tests can find small precancerous growths, called polyps, which can be removed. Removal of polyps can prevent cancer.

• If cancer has developed, screening tests can find it early when treatment is most effective.

• Different screening tests for colorectal cancer are available. They include: digital rectal exam (DRE); fecal occult blood test (FOBT); sigmoidoscopy; colonoscopy; and barium enema (double contrast barium enema).

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• All people age 50 and over are encouraged to talk with their health care provider about colorectal cancer and to get screened using a test that is right for them.

• The Michigan Cancer Consortium recommends colorectal cancer screening for men and women of average risk starting at age 50. Options for screening include:

  • Fecal occult blood testing annually, plus flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years,

    or

  • Flexible Sigmoidoscopy every 5 years

    or

  • Fecal Occult Blood Test annually AND Flexible Sigmoidoscopy every 5 years

    or

  • Colonoscopy every 10 years

    or

  • Double-Contrast Barium Enema every 5 years.

Moderate and high-risk persons have recommendations dependent upon their risk category.

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• To see the MCC Guidelines for the Early Detection of Colorectal Cancer (revised Feb. 2, 2005), visit www.michigancancer.org/WhatWeDo/
  ColorectalCancer.cfm#guidelines.

• People should begin screening earlier and have it more often if they have any of these risk factors:

  • A strong family history (mother, father, sisters, or brothers) of colon or rectal cancer or polyps;

• A family history of hereditary colorectal cancer syndromes; or

• A personal history of colon or rectal cancer or chronic inflammatory bowel disease.

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• Talk with your family, talk with your friends, talk with your loved ones and encourage them to talk with their health care provider about getting screened for colorectal cancer.
• For more specific information about becoming involved in the Michigan Cancer Consortium’s effort to increase colorectal cancer screening of average risk people in Michigan, call us (toll-free) at 877-588-MCCI or e-mail us at .

*Please Note: You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to open, view and print this file once it has been downloaded. If you need a free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader, please click here.