Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month Recognized

The Holzer Center for Cancer Care joins the American Cancer Society (ACS) in a public awareness campaign in support of National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month throughout March. The campaign is intended to create widespread awareness about colorectal cancer and educate the public about this disease.

In efforts to create awareness and save lives in our community, Holzer will be holding a Colorectal Cancer Awareness event at the Bossard Memorial Library on Tuesday, March 29 from 5pm to 7pm. Holzer Nutrition Staff will be on hand to discuss cancer prevention as well as healthy choices through a cooking demonstration. In addition, Ghada Kunter, MD, Hematologist/Oncologist, Holzer Center for Cancer Care, will be providing a presentation and question/answer for those in attendance. The event is open to the community. For more information or to register, call (740) 446-5365.

Unlike some cancers, colorectal cancer is highly preventable and can be detected early through screening. Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer found in men and women in this country. The American Cancer Society estimates that there will be about 148,810 new cases of colorectal cancer in the United States. Combined, that will cause approximately 49,960 deaths.

While we do not know the exact cause of colorectal cancer, researchers have found several risk factors that increase the chances of being diagnosed with colorectal cancer. These include

• age, colorectal cancer chances increase after age 50;
• history of colorectal cancer, including polyps and bowel disease;
• ethnic background;
• diet, a diet high in fat can increase the risk of colorectal cancer;
• lack of exercise;
• obesity;
• smoking;
• and heavy use of alcohol.

There are several steps that will reduce the risk of colorectal cancer; including eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables every day; limiting the amount of high-fat foods; and exercising at least 30 minutes five or more days a week. Individuals with a family history of colorectal cancer may benefit from starting screening tests earlier and more frequently than those without this risk factor.

"Colorectal cancer is one of the easiest cancers to detect and treat if an individual has annual screenings," stated Ken Moore, Executive Director of Holzer Center for Cancer Care. "The Holzer Center for Cancer Care encourages the community to discuss preventative screenings with their family physician."

National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month began when the Cancer Research Foundation of America, the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable (founded by the ACS and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), and the American Digestive Health Foundation joined forces to bring important messages about colorectal cancer to the American public. The founding partners have joined 34 other collaborating sponsors to focus their energies and resources on colorectal cancer each year, especially during the month of March.

Holzer Center for Cancer Care is affiliated with The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center (OSUCCC) – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute and a member of The James Cancer Network for medical oncology and radiation oncology services, which provides quality oversight of medical oncology and radiation oncology services.   The affiliation between OSUCCC and the HCCC will provide improved access to continuing education for physicians, nurses and allied professionals; sharing of information regarding treatment opportunities for patients, both standard and experimental; expedited referrals for patients; and a collaboration to improve patient satisfaction and exchanged quality measurements.

For more information about the Holzer Center for Cancer Care, call (740) 446-5747, or toll-free at 1-800-821-3860.