National Dress in Blue Day is March 4

Dress in Blue Day is held in correlation with National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.

ELIZABETHTOWN, Ky, March 2, 2022 - In recognition of the Colorectal Cancer Alliance’s annual Dress in Blue Day campaign, staff members at Baptist Health Hardin will be wearing blue on Friday and will be encouraging members of the community to follow suit.

Held annually on the first Friday in March, Dress in Blue Day is held in correlation with National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, which is observed each March. The event is designed to raise awareness of colorectal cancer and support those who have been impacted by colorectal cancer.

About Dress in Blue Day:

Dress in Blue Day was started by Colorectal Cancer Alliance volunteer Anita Mitchell, who was battling stage IV colorectal cancer and lost a close friend and her father to the disease. She brought the concept to the Colorectal Cancer Alliance in 2009 and it has since become a nationwide day of recognition.

According to the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, an estimated 151,030 people will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2022.

Facts about colorectal cancer:

• Colorectal cancer is the third-most commonly diagnosed cancer among men and women in the U.S. It is the second-leading cause of cancer death in men and women combined.
• Colorectal cancer is often preventable with screening and is highly treatable when detected early. Screening methods such as colonoscopies find precancerous polyps so they can be removed before becoming cancer. Those 45 and over are encouraged to get screened. Screening is the leading method to prevent colorectal cancer.
• Colorectal cancer often develops without symptoms. However, when symptoms do occur, they can include blood in or on stool; persistent constipation or diarrhea; weakness or fatigue; persistent stomach pains, aches or cramps and unexplained weight loss.  
• Though the median age of diagnosis for colorectal cancer among men and women is 66, diagnosis rates for people under 50 have increased by 2 percent each year. By 2030, researchers predict that colorectal cancer will be the leading cause of cancer deaths in people ages 20 to 49. Those with a family history of colorectal cancer or advanced adenomas (noncancerous tumors), along with hereditary genetic syndromes associated with increased risk are encouraged to get screened before turning 45.
• Some risk factors for colorectal cancer include age, family history, a history of inflammatory bowel disease, physical inactivity, a diet high in red meats, obesity, smoking and high alcohol intake.
• African Americans and Jewish people of Eastern European descent are at higher risk of developing than other races or ethnic groups.

For more information, visit Baptist Health Gastroenterology services.