*****MARCH IS NATIONAL COLORECTAL CANCER AWARENESS MONTH****
Poughkeepsie, NY-February 8, 2012—In recognition of March as National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, Digestive Disease Center of the Hudson Valley is encouraging everyone to wear blue on Friday, March 2, in order to raise awareness of the disease and the importance of getting screened.
“Every ten minutes, someone dies of colon cancer,” says Dr. Arthur Walczyk, a board-certified gastroenterologist withDigestiveDiseaseCenter. “This is a perfect opportunity to raise awareness and encourage everyone to talk to their doctor about getting screened for colon cancer.”
The Digestive Disease Center recommends that everyone over the age of 50 be screened and undergo a routine colonoscopy every five years. A colonoscopy may also be necessary at an earlier age if there is personal or a family history of colon cancer.
Over fifty-thousand people are expected to die from colon cancer in 2012 according to the American Cancer Society.
“Dress is Blue Day” is a national campaign run by the Colon Cancer Alliance. Its purpose is to raise awareness about colon cancer, celebrate survivors and help patients in need.
For more information about getting screened for colon cancer, visit digestivediseaseny.com or call 945-452-9800.
The Digestive Disease Center of the Hudson Valley is dedicated to the treatment and prevention of diseases and disorders of the digestive tract. It is the region’s only Gastroenterology group that includes two female gastroenterologists. All of its physicians are board-certified in Gastroenterology.
The Digestive Disease Center has offices in Poughkeepsie, Fishkill and Pleasant Valley and is now on Facebook.