Why Texas Wants You To Get Screened For Colorectal Cancer

Texas Health and Human Services is asking people to talk to their doctors about screening for colorectal cancer as part of National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Colorectal cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States among men and women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In Texas, roughly 11,533 people will be newly diagnosed and 4,242 will die from colorectal cancer in 2019, according to data from the Texas Department of State Health Services (Texas HHS).

“We want to improve Texas outcomes, and we can,” HHS executive commissioner Dr. Courtney N. Phillips said in a news release. “Raising awareness of the importance of making healthy choices and screening for colorectal cancer is key, and we’re continuing to support programs that help fight cancer in our state.”

Some facts about colorectal cancer:

• Colorectal cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the U.S. and Texas.
• In Texas, 3,697 people died from colorectal cancer in 2015.
• Colorectal cancer deaths were more common among men, and more common among black residents than white or Hispanic residents.
• Hospital charges for colorectal cancer hospitalizations in Texas in 2015 totaled approximately $790 million.
• People 50 to 75 years old should be screened for colorectal cancer regularly, according to the CDC. People younger than 50 who think they may be at risk and people older than 75 should ask a doctor if they should be screened.

Visit this Texas HHS website for more information.