Governor Proclaims Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month 2021

WHEREAS, colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in North Carolina and the United States; it is estimated that 4,540 people in North Carolina will be diagnosed and 1,640 will die from colorectal cancer in 2020; and

WHEREAS, the State of North Carolina encourages people to discuss family medical history with a health care provider, get appropriate colorectal screenings when recommended, and live a healthy lifestyle to decrease the risk of colorectal cancer; and

WHEREAS, colorectal cancer affects men and women of all racial and ethnic groups, but incidence and mortality rates are disproportionately higher among racial and ethnic minorities; and

WHEREAS, the risk for developing colorectal cancer increases as one ages, especially in individuals aged 50 years and older; and

WHEREAS, due to COVID-19, the total number of colonoscopies and biopsies performed declined nearly 90 percent by mid-April 2020 compared to the same period the previous year; and

WHEREAS, the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable has established a pledge for 80 percent of Americans aged 50 and older to be screened; in 2018, only 69.2 percent of men and 76.3 percent of women in North Carolina indicated ever having had a colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy; and

WHEREAS, colorectal cancer is often preventable, treatable, and beatable, and greater screening awareness could save lives; and

WHEREAS, the State of North Carolina encourages our communities to support individuals with colorectal cancer and their families during treatment, care, and survivorship and remember the loved ones we have lost to this disease;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, ROY COOPER, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim March, 2021, as “COLORECTAL CANCER AWARENESS MONTH” in North Carolina, and commend its observance to all citizens.