Did you know that colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in the United States? Similarly, it is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths every single year. In honor of March being Colon Cancer Awareness Month, we are bringing awareness to the risks and factors that contribute to colorectal cancers as well as highlighting the importance of regular cancer screenings.

Penn Medicine studies all parts of colorectal cancers and have identified leading factors that may increase your chances of colorectal cancers. Some of these factors include, age, family history with colorectal cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, and racial/ethnic background.

As research and studies on colorectal cancer increases, studies have shown that the leading factor in cancer prevention is regular screenings. Early detection is key to combating invasive cancers like colorectal cancer, and getting up-to-date cancer screenings can help with this.

It is important to both know your risks for colorectal cancer as well as be informed on the different types of cancer screenings aimed to detect these cancers. To learn more about risk factors and colorectal screenings, follow this article from Penn Medicine. https://www.pennmedicine.org/cancer/about/focus-on-cancer/2023/july/colorectal-cancer-101-increase-your-awareness