The Colon Cancer Coalition and Salix Pharmaceuticals are joining for the second consecutive year to raise awareness of the importance of colorectal cancer screenings, with the Faces of Blue campaign.
The strategy will highlight the personal stories of patients and survivors touched by colorectal cancer to encourage preventive colorectal cancer screening.
“Personal stories resonate and can help influence behavior,” notes Chris Evans, president, Colon Cancer Coalition. “Over the last decade, the Colon Cancer Coalition has shared stories to encourage screening for colorectal cancer. Now that the recommended screening age has been lowered to age 45, there is a new group of people who need to hear this life-saving message.”
Additionally, in recognition of Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, Salix has officially launched colonprepnow.com, an educational website that serves to inform people about the risks of colorectal cancer and stresses the importance of early, life-saving screenings. This is one of several initiatives launching in March to encourage and empower patients to take preventive action for their health.
In May 2021, the United States Preventive Services Task Force lowered the colorectal cancer screening age to 45 from 50 for those of average risk, matching the American Cancer Society’s guideline recommendation that was released in 2018. Approximately 45 million Americans are now eligible for a potentially life-saving colorectal cancer screening, and this new guidance emphasizes the need for awareness programs to educate patients about risk factors and the importance of on-time screening for early detection.
“Salix and the Colon Cancer Coalition are teaming up to help reduce the impact of colorectal cancer on the at-risk population by encouraging preventative screening that can lead to early detection,” said Robert Spurr, president, Salix. “We’re honored to support the Faces of Blue story series, and we are launching new resources and social media partnerships to encourage and empower patients to take preventive action for their health by scheduling a colonoscopy.”
The 2022 #FacesOfBlue story series will be published regularly throughout Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month and semimonthly throughout the rest of the year. These stories are posted to the Colon Cancer Coalition’s website and will then be shared by both the Coalition and Salix on social media accounts.
