[Press Conference: "2023 Go Blue Houston - Colon Colorectal Awareness Month"]
[00:00:19]
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY.MY NAME IS ALLISON ROSEN, AND I AM A 10 YEAR COLORECTAL CANCER SURVIVOR.
AND WE'RE HERE TODAY FOR A VERY IMPORTANT CAUSE.
OBVIOUSLY, IT'S NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART.
IT'S NEAR AND DEAR TO HEART, TO EVERYONE.
UM, I WANNA SAY REALLY QUICKLY THAT THIS WAS DONE FOUR YEARS AGO.
STARTED FOUR YEARS AGO WITH FOUR BUILDINGS AND LANDMARKS TURNING BLUE THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND NOW WE HAVE BETWEEN 50 AND 70 LANDMARKS THAT SHINE BRIGHTLY BLUE THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND THAT MAKES ME SO PROUD AND SO HAPPY THAT SO MANY PEOPLE WANNA WORK TOGETHER TO HELP SPREAD AWARENESS ABOUT COLORECTAL CANCER.
UM, A LITTLE ANTIDOTE FOR YOU GUYS.
SO I ALWAYS DO THIS AND I TELL MY PARENTS, AND, AND THEY DON'T NECESSARILY BELIEVE THAT ALL THE STUFF THAT I DO IS ACTUALLY POSSIBLE, BUT THEY, THEY SEE IT IN THE NEWS, THEY SEE IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA, BUT I CAME HOME FROM A TRIP AND THEY DID THEIR PART AND THEY LIT THEIR HOUSE BLUE, SO THEIR TWO FRONT LIGHTS IN THEIR HOUSE ARE LIT BLUE.
AND MY PARENTS CAN'T SURPRISE ME WITH ANYTHING.
I ALWAYS KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
THEY LIVE DOWN THE STREET FROM ME, BUT THEY SURPRISE ME WITH THIS.
SO WHEN I TALK ABOUT BUILDINGS AND LANDMARKS AND INSTITUTIONS TURNING BLUE, EVERYONE CAN DO THEIR PART TO HELP SUPPORT THIS BLUE.
FOR CRC INITIATIVE, YOU CAN GET YOUR NAILS PAINTED BLUE.
WE JUST ASK THAT YOU POST ON SOCIAL MEDIA USING THE HASHTAG BLUE FOR CRC SO WE CAN ALL SPREAD AWARENESS ABOUT COLORECTAL CANCER, BECAUSE IF I HADN'T HAD MY SCREENING, MY COLONOSCOPY, I WOULDN'T BE ALIVE BEFORE YOU TODAY.
SO I'M REALLY, REALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS CAUSE AND I'M REALLY, REALLY EXCITED THAT I'M JOINED BY SOME AMAZING SPEAKERS, SOME AMAZING PEOPLE TO TELL YOU WHY COLORECTAL CANCER AWARENESS MONTH AND THE LIGHT LIGHTING THE CITY BLUE AND WEARING BLUE AND TALKING ABOUT IT MORE IS SO, SO IMPORTANT.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO SO MANY PEOPLE, BUT TODAY WE'RE HERE TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT.
SO, THROUGH COORDINATED EFFORTS BETWEEN THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY AND THE COLON CANCER COALITION, WE'RE HERE TODAY WITH A LOVELY INFLATABLE COLON BEHIND ME AND BLUE LIGHTS TONIGHT THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
UM, AND NOW WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT IT.
SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I'M GONNA INTRODUCE JENNY TODD, SENIOR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY.
COLON CANCER NEEDS TO BE TALKED ABOUT.
WHEN PEOPLE SEE THE PINK RIBBON, THEY THINK BREAST CANCER, BUT COLON CANCER IS THE SECOND LEADING CAUSE OF CANCER DEATH IN THE UNITED STATES, AND IT'S PREVENTABLE WHEN HOUSTONIAN SEAT BLUE LIGHTS OR PEOPLE DRESSED IN BLUE OR A BLUE RIBBON IN THE MONTH OF MARCH, WE WANT THEM TO THINK OF COLON CANCER AWARENESS AND TO GET SCREENED.
DID YOU KNOW THAT ONE IN 23 AMERICANS WILL BE DIAGNOSED WITH COLORECTAL CANCER IN THEIR LIFETIME AND ONE IN FIVE OF THOSE BEFORE THE AGE OF 55? THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY RECOMMENDS THAT ADULTS 45 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER GET SCREENED FOR CANCER.
AN ESTIMATED 12,000 TEXANS WILL DIE THIS YEAR FROM COLORECTAL CANCER WHILE 4,000 WILL BE NEWLY DIAGNOSED.
DON'T BE ONE OF THESE NUMBERS RIGHT NOW.
YOU COULD HAVE A POLY UP OR A SMALL GROWTH IN YOUR COLON OR RECTUM RIGHT NOW.
IT MIGHT BE HARMLESS, BUT OVER TIME, IT COULD DEVELOP INTO CANCER.
PREVENTING COLON CANCER EARLY IS IMPERATIVE THROUGH REGULAR SCREENING.
THE GOLD STANDARD IN TESTING IS COLONOSCOPIES, BUT IT ISN'T THE ONLY OPTION.
THERE ARE OTHER AFFORDABLE OPTIONS, INCLUDING TAKE HOME KITS THAT YOU CAN DO IN THE COMFORT OF YOUR OWN HOME.
THERE'S NO EXCUSE NOT TO GET SCREENED, SO PLEASE CONTACT YOUR DOCTOR TODAY.
SO THE NEXT, WELL, LET ME MOVE THE MICROPHONE DOWN.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS DR. GEORGE CHANG, THE CHAIR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF COLON AND RECTAL SURGERY AT MD ANDERSON CANCER CENTER.
I WANT TO THANK THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY FOR PUTTING THIS EVENT TOGETHER TO HIGHLIGHT THIS REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT, UM, ISSUE.
AND, UM, UM, AS ALLISON MENTIONED, MY NAME'S GEORGE CHANG AND I'M THE CHAIR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF COLORECTAL SURGERY HERE AT MD ANDERSON.
[00:05:01]
UM, DELIGHTED TO JOIN THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER AND THE CITY AND COUNTY OF HOUSTON, ALONG WITH THE, UH, ALONG WITH THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY, UH, TO, TO REALLY RAISE AWARENESS FOR COLORECTAL CANCER.AS YOU JUST HEARD FROM THOSE VERY SOBERING STATISTICS, COLORECTAL CANCER IS VERY COMMON.
THAT MEANS FOR ALL OF YOU STANDING AROUND HERE, YOU WILL, YOU WILL KNOW SOMEONE OR YOU KNOW, SOMEONE WHO HAS OR WILL BE DIAGNOSED WITH COLORECTAL CANCER SOMETIME DURING THEIR LIFETIME.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, BUT, BUT, UM, WHILE THERE ARE A NUMBER OF TREATMENTS FOR COLORECTAL CANCER, THE MOST EFFECTIVE TREATMENT ACTUALLY IS PREVENTION.
BEING SCREENED, GETTING YOUR COLONOSCOPY OR GETTING DETECTED EARLY IN SOME OTHER WAY WITH A LESION THAT HAS NOT YET TURNED INTO CANCER IS THE BEST, UM, CHANCE FOR CURE.
SO I CAN'T EMPHASIZE ENOUGH THE IMPORTANCE FOR ALL OF US TO ENCOURAGE OUR FAMILY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS WHO ARE 45 OR OLDER, AND ALSO, UM, THOSE WHO MAY BE EXPERIENCING ANY SYMPTOMS, WHETHER IT'S BLOOD IN THE STOOLS OR CHANGE IN THE BOWEL HABITS, TO NOT BE AFRAID TO TALK ABOUT IT, TO SEEK THEIR, UM, CARE WITH THEIR DOCTORS AND GET TESTED.
BUT FOR THOSE PATIENTS WHO DEVELOP, WHO DO DEVELOP COLORECTAL CANCER, THERE IS HOPE.
YOU KNOW, WITH THE RIGHT TREATMENT, MOST PATIENTS WHO ARE DIAGNOSED, PARTICULARLY WITH EARLY STAGE COLORECTAL CANCER, UH, CAN BE CURED AND WILL BEAT THEIR CANCER DIAGNOSIS.
UM, THIS IS WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT WHEN PATIENTS ARE DIAGNOSED, THAT THEY GET A COMPLETE WORKUP SO THAT THE RIGHT TREATMENT CAN BE INITIATED, UM, FOR THE, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR THEM.
AND, UM, TREATMENT THAT'S DESIGNED TO BE NOT ONLY EFFECTIVE AGAINST THEIR CANCER, BUT WILL ALLOW THEM TO GET BACK TO THEIR LIVES AND PRESERVE, UM, THE QUALITY OF LIFE AND RETURN THEM TO, UM, THEIR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS, UH, AND, UM, THEIR NORMAL, UH, DAY TO DAY.
YOU KNOW, UM, AT MD ANDERSON HERE AT THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER AND THROUGHOUT OUR HOUSTON AREA LOCATIONS, WE'RE PROUD TO SERVE HOUSTON AND OUR TEXAS COMMUNITY, UH, UH, AND OUR PATIENTS THROUGH THEIR JOURNEY.
AND, UM, AS YOU HAVE HEARD, UH, COLORECTAL CANCER BEING DIAGNOSED IN YOUNG PEOPLE OR, UM, IS INCREASING, UH, ALL THE TIME.
AND THAT IS A REALLY IMPORTANT AREA THAT WE'VE, UM, PLACED THAT, THAT WE ARE REALLY WORKING TO HELP, UM, YOU KNOW, IMPROVE THE EXPERIENCE FOR OUR PATIENTS AND HELP OUR YOUNG PATIENTS GET THROUGH THIS JOURNEY.
AND SO, WITH THAT IN MIND, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE DR.
NANCY YU, WHO IS ONE OF OUR FACULTY IN THE DEPARTMENT OF COLORECTAL SURGERY AND LEADER OF OUR YOUNG ONSET COLORECTAL CANCER PROGRAM.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHOWING UP TODAY.
COLORECTAL CANCER IS INCREASING AMONG YOUNG ADULTS, AGED BETWEEN 18 AND 50.
DID YOU KNOW THAT FOR SOMEONE WHO WAS BORN IN 1990S, THEY FACED TWICE THE RISK OF RISK OF BEING DIAGNOSED WITH COLON CANCER AND FOUR TIMES THE RISK OF BEING DIAGNOSED WITH RECTAL CANCER COMPARED TO SOMEONE WHO WAS BORN IN THE 1950S.
SO WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
WHAT CAN WE DO? I HAVE THREE MESSAGES.
DON'T BE SHY ABOUT TALKING TO YOUR ABOUT YOUR BOWELS.
DON'T BE SHY ABOUT NOTICING WHEN THERE'S A CHANGE.
PLEASE, IF YOU HAVE A SYMPTOM THAT MAY BE CONSISTENT WITH COLORECTAL CANCER, GO GET IT CHECKED OUT.
THOSE OF US WHO TREAT COLORECTAL CANCER ARE FORTUNATE BECAUSE COLORECTAL CANCER TAKES TIME TO DEVELOP.
SO IT OFFERS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR INTERCEPTION.
WE CAN STOP THE PROCESS, WE CAN CATCH IT EARLY.
SO TAKE ADVANTAGE, GET SCREENED.
START AT AGE 45 EARLIER IF YOU HAVE A FAMILY HISTORY.
AND THIRD, MAKE IT A PART OF YOUR SELF-CARE.
EITHER TAKE A FAMILY HISTORY OR CALL YOUR DOCTOR, MAKE AN APPOINTMENT, OR GO ONLINE AND LOOK AT A RESOURCE.
TODAY HERE AT MD ANDERSON, WE HAVE STARTED, WE HAVE BUILT A DEDICATED PROGRAM FOR YOUNG PATIENTS WITH COLORECTAL CANCER.
FOR THOSE WHO ARE DIAGNOSED UNDER AGE 50, WE KNOW IT'S THE LAST THING THAT YOU WANT TO BE THROWN INTO YOUR LIVES.
WE ARE HERE TO WALK EVERY STEP OF THE WAY WITH YOU FROM EARLY DIAGNOSIS TO JUGGLING YOUR TREATMENTS WITH EVERYTHING ELSE IN YOUR LIFE, TO REINTEGRATING INTO A NORMAL LIFE AFTER TREATMENT.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
YOU'VE NOW HEARD A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE STATISTICS, YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT'S BEING DONE LOCALLY.
UM, I KNOW I TOLD YOU I WAS A 10 YEAR EARLY JOHNSON SURVIVOR, BUT NOW WE HAVE A VERY, VERY INSPIRING PERSON TO TALK ABOUT HER CANCER JOURNEY.
AND REALLY, I WANT YOU TO LISTEN CAREFULLY BECAUSE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE STATS, LIKE
[00:10:01]
I SAID, BUT WE, THE STORY AND THE STORIES OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE GONE THROUGH IT ARE GOING THROUGH IT, ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT THING.SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I HAVE THE DISTINCT PLEASURE OF INTRODUCING NATASHA POE.
HOW YOU DOING? CANCER IS UNEXPECTED AND IN MY LIFE, IT SHOWS THE TIME WHERE LIFE WAS GOING GREAT IN MY EYES.
I WAS HAPPY, LOVING LIFE TO THE FULLEST.
I RAISED MY THREE ADULT CHILDREN, BEEN MARRIED AND HAVE ONE BEAUTIFUL GRANDDAUGHTER.
CANCER CAN BE SO SILENT, BUT ONCE YOU BECOME DIAGNOSED, IT BECOMES SO LOUD AND CAN TAKE OVER EVERY PART IN YOUR LIFE.
THIS WAS MY TIME AND CANCER OPPOSED IT.
I WORK FOR TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE.
I HOLD A BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE WITH A MINOR IN SOCIOLOGY.
I HAVE AN HONORABLE DISCHARGE FROM THE ARMY RESERVES.
I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH STAGE THREE COLORECTAL CANCER AT AGE 45 IN JUNE OF 2021.
AND MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS, NO, NOT ME.
I HAVEN'T BEGUN TO LIVE FOR MYSELF AS MUCH AS I'VE LIVED FOR OTHERS.
AND FACING DEATH WASN'T A PART OF THE PLAN FOR ME.
THIS IS NOT REAL NARCISSIST HAPPENING, BUT IT WAS.
I RECEIVED MY VERY FIRST COLONOSCOPY EVER IN MAY, 2021.
I REMEMBER THE DOCTOR TELLING ME THE AGE LIMIT HAD RECENTLY CHANGED FROM 50 TO 45.
AND WAS THAT MY REASON FOR COMING? I WAS UNAWARE OF THAT.
BUT MY REASON FOR GOING WAS I FELT SOME TYPE OF BLOCKAGE IN THAT AREA.
I WASN'T IN ANY PAIN, AND THE SCARY PART WAS THAT I WASN'T IN ANY PAIN.
I CAN STAND HERE TODAY AND SAY THIS SCREENING SAVED MY LIFE.
AFTER MY INITIAL COLONOSCOPY AT MEMORIAL HERMAN KATY, I MADE AN APPOINTMENT AT MD ANDERSON CANCER CENTER DOWNTOWN IN HOUSTON, TEXAS.
I NEVER DEALT WITH CANCER, SO I THOUGHT MY LIFE WOULD NEVER BE THE SAME OR NORMAL AGAIN.
TREATMENT WAS A TOUGH DECISION, BUT I WAS GRATEFUL TO HAVE TREATMENT OPTIONS.
MY TREATMENT INCLUDED TAKING 35 CHEMO PILLS A WEEK AND RECEIVING LOCALIZED RADIATION AT THE SAME TIME FOR FIVE WEEKS AFTER THE TREATMENT.
AFTER THAT TREATMENT, I RECEIVED EIGHT ROUNDS OF INTRAVENOUS CHEMOTHERAPY WITH A TAKE HOME CHEMO PACK THAT PUSHED MEDICATION THROUGH MY BODY FOR ANOTHER 48 HOURS BEFORE DISCONNECT.
I FACED DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, SADNESS, LONELINESS, DOUBT, AND UN EXPECTANCY, NOT KNOWING EXACTLY WHAT THE FUTURE WOULD HOLD.
AT FIRST, I WANTED TO WALK AWAY, BUT I STOOD IN THE FIRE AND I'M A BETTER PERSON FOR IT.
I RANG THE BELL AFTER I COMPLETED RADIATION IN SEPTEMBER, 2021.
THEN I RANG THE BELL AGAIN IN FEBRUARY, 2022.
AFTER I COMPLETED CHEMOTHERAPY, GIVING ME A SECOND CHANCE, I CRIED SO MANY TEARS OF GRATITUDE.
I AM NOW ONE YEAR CANCER FREE AND COUNTING.
BEFORE I CLOSE, I WANT YOU TO WALK AWAY WITH THIS IN YOUR MIND THAT ANYONE AT ANY POINT AND ANY TIME IN THEIR LIFE CAN FACE A CANCER DIAGNOSIS.
BUT IF YOU ARE AWARE OF THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS AND STATISTICS BEFOREHAND, THEN YOU'RE MORE LIKELY TO TAKE TIME OUT YOUR BUSY SCHEDULES AND GET TESTED, GET SCREENED, AND TO SHARE ANY HEALTH CONCERNS.
EVEN THE SIMPLEST OF CONCERNS WITH YOUR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL TIME IS SO PRECIOUS TO US ALL.
AND FOR ME, BEING HERE ON EARTH TO CELEBRATE AND HOST MY GRANDDAUGHTER'S FIFTH BIRTHDAY PARTY MEANT THE WORLD TO ME.
I'LL FOREVER BE GRATEFUL TO THE DOCTORS AT MD ANDERSON AND THE MEDICAL ADVANCES AND GOD'S GRACE AND MERCY.
UM, NEXT WE HAVE ISAAC MIDDLETON, THE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER OF THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER.
THANK YOU LATASHA, FOR SHARING YOUR STORY.
UH, MANY BELIEVE, AS YOU'VE HEARD, THAT COLORECTAL CANCER, UH, IS SOMETHING YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT TO A LATER STAGE IN LIFE.
UM, THE IMPORTANT WORK THAT THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY AND ALL THE FOLKS UP HERE AROUND ME ARE DOING TO GET THE WORD OUT ABOUT EARLIER SCREENINGS IS, IS CRUCIAL AND IT SAVES LIVES.
UM, AT THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER, YOU KNOW, OUR OUR MISSION IS TO ADVANCE HEALTH EDUCATION AND RESEARCH.
WE'RE ALWAYS PROUD TO SUPPORT OUR TMC MEMBER INITIATIVES, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT ARE AIMED AT LIFE-SAVING AWARENESS.
SO TMC WILL BE LENDING A HAND BY LIGHTING UP
[00:15:01]
OUR CAMPUS BUILDINGS BLUE THROUGHOUT THE MONTH OF MARCH, AND, AND ENCOURAGING ALL OF OUR MEMBER INSTITUTIONS TO DO THE SAME.UH, FOR OUR PART, YOU'LL SEE THE TMC POLICE STATION LIT UP BLUE.
YOU'LL ALSO SEE THIS BEAUTIFUL WATER WALL BEHIND US LIT UP BLUE LATER ON TONIGHT, AND MANY OTHER BUILDINGS THROUGHOUT THE TMC.
SO THANK YOU ALL FOR THE IMPORTANT WORK YOU'RE DOING.
AND WITH THAT, I THINK IT'S, UH, I BELIEVE IS MY HONOR TO INTRODUCE, UH, DIRECTOR STEVEN WILLIAMS FROM THE HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
ON BEHALF OF MY BOSS, MAYOR TURNER, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO HIGHLIGHT SUCH AN IMPORTANT SUBJECT.
THE MAYOR COULDN'T MAKE THIS EVENT, BUT HE WANTED TO ENSURE THAT WE HAD A CITY OF HOUSTON PRESENCE HERE.
IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT ALONG WITH HOUSTON CITY HALL, THERE ARE GONNA BE MORE THAN 50 OTHER BUILDINGS IN AND AROUND OUR CITY THAT WILL TAKE PLACE IN TURNING THE CITY BLUE THIS MONTH IN SUPPORT OF COLORECTAL CANCER AWARENESS MONTH.
THAT DESERVES A ROUND OF APPLAUSE.
I ALSO WANT TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE TO THE LATASHA ALLISON CANCER SURVIVORS FOR SHARING THEIR STORIES, BUT IT COULD, BECAUSE IT REALLY PRESENTS A VERY PERSONALIZED MESSAGE REGARDING THE IMPORTANCE OF CANCER AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS.
SO THANK YOU ALLISON AND LATASHA MEN HAVE A HIGHER RATE OF COLON CANCER THAN WOMEN BECAUSE SOME SAY WE'RE TOO SCARED OR TOO EMBARRASSED TO TALK ABOUT IT OR TO GET TESTED.
AND I'M PERSONALLY CONCERNED THAT AFRICAN-AMERICAN MEN HAVE THE HIGHEST RATE OF COLON CANCER DEATH IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW YOUR FAMILY HISTORY, MAKE HEALTHY CHOICES, AND GET SCREENED.
THAT POINT WAS DRIVEN HOME WHEN I HAD TO COM COMFORT AND SUPPORT MY MOTHER WHILE SHE BATTLED COLON CANCER.
FOR YEARS, MY FOUR SIBLINGS AND I GOT TIMELY SCREENINGS.
THAT'S WHY THE HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS PROUD TO SUPPORT THE HUNDRED BLACK MEN OF HOUSTON AND BLACK VITAMIN HEALTH AND WELLNESS FAIR.
THIS SATURDAY, MARCH THE 11TH AT OUR NEW SUNNYSIDE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER.
IT'S FREE, IT'S A FREE COMMUNITY EVENT, AND IT'S OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
EARLY DETECTION THROUGH EFFECTIVE SCREENING PLAYS A VIABLE ROLE IN IDENTIFYING CANCER AND ALLOWS FOR LIFESAVING TREATMENT OPTIONS.
AS MEN, WE NEED TO ENCOURAGE EACH OTHER.
AND WOMEN PLEASE EN EN ENCOURAGE YOUR FATHERS, YOUR HUSBANDS, YOUR SONS, YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY MEMBERS MEMBERS TO GET SCREENED.
AND BETTER YET, WHY NOT JUST JOIN ME IF WE DO NOT? PEOPLE OF HOUSTON WILL BE DYING.
IN PARTICULAR AFRICAN AMERICAN MEN FROM A LARGELY PREVENTABLE DISEASE.
PLEASE HEAR ME WHEN I SAY GO GET SCREENED.
TOGETHER WE CAN WIN THIS BALLOT.
SO ALLISON, I WANT YOU TO PLEASE COME FORWARD, BRING EVERYBODY UP HERE, AND I WANT TO ACTUALLY READ A PROCLAMATION FROM THE MAYOR.
I THINK I GOT THE WORDS ON A PIECE OF PAPER SO Y'ALL CAN HOLD IT,
WHEREAS COLORECTAL COUNCIL IS THE SECOND LEADING CAUSE OF CANCER DEATHS IN THE US AMONG MEN AND WOMEN COMBINED.
AND WHEREAS ONE IN 20 MEN AND ONE IN 24 WOMEN WILL BE DIAGNOSED WITH COLORECTAL CANCER IN THEIR LIFETIME.
AND WHEREAS THERE ARE NOW MORE THAN 1 MILLION SURVIVORS OF COLORECTAL CANCER IN THE UNITED STATES, AND WHEREAS THE NATIONAL GOAL ESTABLISHED BY THE NATIONAL COLORECTAL CANCER ROUNDTABLE IS 80% OF AMERICANS AGES 45 AND OLDER BE SCREENED IN EVERY COMMUNITY.
AND WHEREAS IF THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES AGE 45 OR OLDER WERE SCREENED REGULARLY FOR COLORECTAL CANCER, HALF OF ALL CASES COULD BE PREVENTED ENTIRELY.
IT IS CRITICAL THAT ALL PEOPLE OF ALL AGES KNOW THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF THE DISEASE.
AND WHEREAS OBSERVING COLORECTAL CANCER AWARENESS MONTH DURING THE MARCH, THE MONTH OF MARCH PROVIDES A SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY TO OFFER EDUCATION ON THE IMPORTANCE OF EARLY DETECTION.
THE CITY OF HOUSTON ENCOURAGES ALL TO PARTICIPATE IN SPREADING THE AWARENESS OF THIS DISEASE.
THEREFORE, I, NOT ME, SYLVESTER TURNER, THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, PROCLAIM MARCH, 2023 AS COLORECTAL AWARENESS MONTH IN HOUSTON, TEXAS.
I WANT TO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO JOIN YOU TODAY AND YOUR SUPPORT IN SPREADING COLORECTAL CANCER AWARENESS.
[00:20:01]
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR STORY AND THANK YOU QUESTIONS.SO THAT CONCLUDES OUR, OUR REMARKS.
WE'RE HERE FOR ANYONE THAT MIGHT WANT TO TALK TO ANYONE UP HERE OR IN THE AUDIENCE FOR INTERVIEWS OR PICTURES.
UM, I THINK THE, THE TAKE HOME MESSAGE IS WHAT EVERYONE SAID HERE, COLORECTAL CANCER IS PREVENTABLE, BEATABLE AND TREATABLE.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY, AND LET'S TAKE SOME PICTURES IN FRONT OF THIS COLON AND POST ON SOCIAL MEDIA USING THE HASHTAG BLUE FOR CRC SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE EVERYONE IN THE CITY KNOWS THAT COLON CANCER AWARENESS MONTH IS IN MARCH.