Rep. Payne, Jr. Promotes March as National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
Rep. Payne, Jr. Promotes March as National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
Washington, D.C. — Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr. advanced two important actions recently to designate March as National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Rep. Payne, Jr. wrote a letter to President Biden with Rep. Rodney Davis (IL-13) and 18 additional, bipartisan Congressional members to request a presidential proclamation to establish March as National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. The Biden Administration agreed and made the proclamation official on February 28, 2022. Then Rep. Payne, Jr. and Rep. Davis introduced a resolution in Congress today to support the designation of March as National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.
“I want to thank President Biden for this proclamation, Rep. Davis for his leadership, and my House colleagues for supporting this resolution,” said Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr. “Awareness is critical to defeating this terrible disease because it encourages more people to get screened and saves lives. In addition, awareness helps my colleagues in Congress support more funding for medical efforts to fight this cancer. I lost my father, Donald M. Payne, Sr. to colorectal cancer 10 years ago. I want to make sure more families do not lose their fathers and loved ones to this dreaded disease.”
“Raising awareness of and increasing access to treatment for colorectal cancer is the first step towards taking action against it and saving lives of those why may be affected by it,” said Rep. Rodney Davis. “As the husband of a colorectal cancer survivor, this fight is personal to me. Nobody should have to go through this terrible disease. I’m proud to join my colleague Rep. Payne, Jr. and other members of Congress to designate March as National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.”
Rep. Payne, Jr. has been a staunch leader in advocacy efforts to improve colorectal cancer treatments nationwide. He introduced The Donald Payne Sr. Colorectal Cancer Detection Act to require Medicare to cover FDA-approved blood-based screening tests and help Americans determine their risk for colorectal cancer. Rep. Payne, Jr. introduced the Colorectal Cancer Payment Fairness Act to make sure colonoscopy patients will not have to pay a bill for polyps removed during the procure. In addition, Rep. Payne, Jr. is the founder and co-chair of the Congressional Colorectal Cancer Caucus to bring more awareness of this disease to his colleagues in Congress.
Colorectal cancer is the second highest cause of cancer deaths in the country and the fourth highest cause of new cancers. This year, an estimated 150,000 Americans will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer and more than 52,000 will die from it. Yet, it is one of the most preventable types of cancer with early detection. If 70 percent of Americans were screened regularly, it could reduce Medicare spending by $14 billion in 2050, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The proclamation states that “each year, more than 50,000 families across the country lose a loved one to colorectal cancer – the fourth most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer deaths in America. The toll it exacts is immeasurable, but when we detect colorectal cancer early, we can save lives and deliver hope. During National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, we raise awareness of this dreaded disease and renew our commitment to ending cancer as we know it.”
