The American College of Gastroenterology and the Campaign to End Obesity have announced they have joined together to bring attention to the potentially deadly link between higher body mass index and colorectal cancer, according to a news release.
The two organizations are working together in March, which is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, on a goal to educate the public about obesity as a major risk factor for colorectal cancer and the importance of colorectal cancer screening in patients with high BMI.
"Dietary and other modifiable risk factors may account for as many as 90 percent of colorectal cancers, and recent studies suggest that about one-quarter of colorectal cancer cases could be avoided by following a healthy lifestyle," said ACG President Lawrence R. Schiller, MD, FACG, in the release. "Consumers need to understand the link between a higher BMI and colorectal cancer, take this risk factor seriously and talk to their doctor about colorectal cancer tests."
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