Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in Arizona.  Most of the new diagnoses of the disease are late stage.  Discovery in late stage reduces the chance of survival. There’s really no reason for people to die from it – research shows colonoscopies that find polyps can dramatically reduce the chance of dying from colon cancer.  So why aren’t people getting screened earlier?  One of the reasons may be is people are afraid of the test.  In reality, it’s a pretty simple screening – I got mine when I turned 51.  Probably the worst part of it was the preparation.  I blogged about it and shared a good tip about my screening at a local Undy 5000 race.  

The annual Phoenix Undy 5000 helps raise awareness about the importance of the screening and gets people moving in an interesting way!  The Colon Cancer Alliance is hosting this year’s race on Saturday, November 16 at the State Capitol District. This event is unlike any others because a portion of the proceeds directly benefit our FIT at Fifty HealthCheck ProgramLast year, the event raised more than $130,000 and had 1,435 participants. This is the sixth year the ADHS has a team participating in the Undy 5000. So if you’re around town on November 16th, come on by the Capitol Mall…. You just don’t know what you’ll see.