Media Information - Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month

Dear Member of the Media:

March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS) is actively supporting advancements in prevention and treatment through research, professional education and patient awareness. You can help raise awareness of this important topic by covering it in the news.

Approximately 140,000 new cases of colorectal cancer are diagnosed every year and another 56,000 people die annually of this disease. But colorectal cancer is a disease that can be prevented and cured if detected and treated early.

Prevention techniques include regular screenings, a healthy diet and regular exercise. If detected, colorectal cancer requires surgery in nearly all cases for complete cure, sometimes in conjunction with radiation and chemotherapy. Between 80 and 90 percent of patients are restored to normal health if the cancer is detected and treated in the earliest stages. However, the cure rate drops to 50 percent or less when diagnosed in the later stages.

Studies have shown that patients treated by colorectal surgeons -- experts in the surgical and nonsurgical treatment of colon and rectal problems -- are more likely to survive colorectal cancer and experience fewer complications. This is attributed to colorectal surgeons' advanced training and the high volume of colon and rectal disease surgeries they perform.

Click here if you would like to interview a colon and rectal surgeon about colorectal cancer and its treatment.

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Click here for a fact sheet on colorectal cancer.

Click here for background information on ASCRS.

Click here for background information on the Month.

Click here to learn the screening methods used to detect colorectal cancer.

Click here for a press release on insurance coverage of colorectal cancer screening.