Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month

By virtue of the authority vested by the Constitution of Virginia in the Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, there is hereby officially recognized:

WHEREAS, colorectal cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States among men and women combined; and

WHEREAS, colorectal cancer is one of the few cancers that can be prevented with timely screening, but one in three eligible Americans are not up to date on screening; and

WHEREAS, colorectal cancer is estimated to be the number one cause of cancer death for those age twenty to forty-nine by 2030; and

WHEREAS, Black Americans are 20% more likely to be diagnosed with colorectal cancer and about 40% more likely to die from the disease than other groups; and

WHEREAS, colorectal cancer is expected to account for 11% of cancer deaths among Hispanic men and 9% of cancer deaths for Hispanic women; and

WHEREAS, in 2023, there were approximately 153,020 new cases and 52,550 deaths from colorectal cancer; and

WHEREAS, observing Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month during the month of March provides a special opportunity to increase awareness and offer education on the importance of early detection and screening of colorectal cancer;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Glenn Youngkin, do hereby recognize March 2024, as COLORECTAL CANCER AWARENESS MONTH in our COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of all our citizens.

Governor of Virginia

Proclamations