We are proud to be sponsoring the Hitting Cancer Below the Belt RVA Boxer Brief 5K this weekend. Hitting Cancer Below the Belt was founded in 2011, by Melinda Conklin, after her husband of 20 years passed from colorectal cancer at the young age of 43. This story is unfortunately much more common than you’d think. That’s why GSI, along with Hitting Cancer Below the Belt, wish to increase awareness of colorectal cancer and save lives by encouraging colonoscopy screenings.
Colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in both men and women.
One in 22 men and one in 24 women will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer in their lifetime.
Though 90% of new colon cancer cases occur in people 50 or older, there has been a sharp rise in the risk of colorectal cancer risk for young adults.
If there is a history of colorectal cancer in your family (first-degree relatives), it is even more important that you get screenings regularly, starting at the age of 40. If there is no history of colorectal cancer in your family you should start having screenings by age 50.
Learn more about Hitting Cancer Below the Belt here, and learn more about colon cancer screenings, risk, and prevention here.
