Colorectal Cancer Alliance

"I got screened because I turned 45 this year, as it was highly recommended. My husband completed his screening two years ago, so seeing him go through it made me more comfortable scheduling mine.

While preparing, I searched for firsthand colonoscopy experiences—so I’m glad this page exists! Working from home on my clear-liquid day helped, and I drank the prescription prep very cold, over ice, while watching TV. My husband handled the kids while I “went away” to prep. LOL.

I felt full and a little nauseated at first, but once the prep started working, I felt better. A nurse suggested applying Vaseline beforehand, and I also used Preparation H wipes. Both helped me avoid pain or burning.

My prep was split into two parts, so I woke up at 2:30 a.m. for the second round. By 8 a.m., I was headed to my colonoscopy. I was tired and crabby, but otherwise felt fine. The staff provided so much comfort and care.

The procedure felt like it was over in seconds. When I woke up, I had apple juice and crackers—my first food in more than a day—and learned that everything looked great!

I highly recommend getting screened. If possible, take two days off: one for prep and one for the procedure and recovery. Take care of yourself and give yourself the time. I don’t have to go back for 10 years, and I’m pretty happy about that!" - Monica

If you're 45 or older, have a family history of colore**al cancer, or are experiencing any symptoms, talk to your doctor about getting screened. Learn more and take a short screening quiz to receive personalized screening options based on your individual risk factors by visiting getscreened.org.

Seattle showed up in a big way! Together, our walkers, volunteers, fundraisers, and supporters raised more than $100K. Thank you for every step taken and every dollar raised in support of the Alliance’s mission! 🚶‍♀️

Learn more about the Walk to End Colon Cancer and find one near you by visiting https://bit.ly/2026WECC.

We’re grateful to our generous sponsors, Topazfit, Optum, Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, and Fred Hutch, for making this day possible.

And a special thank-you to Jean-Marcus Strole Photography for beautifully capturing the day 📸

We’re so excited to partner with the Colore**al Cancer Alliance for the second year of our With Heart program. This one means a lot to us.
When we first learned through our friend Craig Melvin just how many people are diagnosed with colore**al cancer every year, we were honestly blown away. This is a cancer that touches far too many families — nearly 159,000 people are expected to be diagnosed in the U.S. this year alone. And when something affects that many people, you start thinking about the small ways you can show up. And we obviously show up with flowers.
So with every Alliance With Heart bouquet you send, a portion gives back to help fund research, screening, and support for people and families affected by colore**al cancer. It’s a really important cause, one we’re proud to stand behind again and, honestly, just one more really good reason to send someone flowers.

October 3rd is Ostomy Awareness Day! Did you know that around 1 million people in the United States live with an ostomy?

About 1 in every 500 Americans received a life-saving ostomy surgery, and approximately 100,000 ostomy surgeries are performed each year.

Ostomies save lives — let’s normalize them! Learn more about ostomies at https://crcancer.org/ostomy

Abbott and Freenome have officially launched SimpleScreen CRC, a new blood-based colore**al cancer screening test.

Every new screening option is an opportunity to remind people that getting checked can save lives. But more options only help when people understand what each test can and cannot do.

Through our Screen Smart initiative, the Alliance guides patients using U.S. Preventive Services Task Force A and B recommendations, which reflect the strongest available evidence and determine which screenings insurers are required to cover.

Here’s what you should know:

👉 Colonoscopy remains the gold standard. It is the only screening test that can find and remove precancerous polyps during the same procedure, helping stop cancer before it starts.

👉 Stool-based tests are proven, at-home options for average-risk adults who do not have symptoms or additional risk factors. Multitarget stool DNA tests such as Cologuard detect 43% of precancers, multitarget stool RNA tests such as ColoSense detect 41.3%, and high-quality FIT tests detect 24%. Cologuard and FIT are also widely covered by insurance.

👉 Blood-based tests are not substitutes for colonoscopy or stool-based screening. They should be considered for patients who would otherwise decline those recommended options, not as a first choice.

No matter which screening method is used, one rule remains the same: An abnormal stool- or blood-based test must be followed by a colonoscopy.

Learn more about your screening options + take a short quiz at getscreened.org.

Targeted therapies are transforming cancer care, yet many patients never receive the biomarker testing that could reveal more effective, potentially less toxic treatment options.

That urgency is driving KLEOS, the Alliance’s adaptive clinical trial platform. By evaluating multiple promising colore**al cancer therapies more efficiently and expanding access to cutting-edge options, KLEOS aims to move breakthroughs from the lab to patients faster—because innovation only matters when patients can benefit from it.

Read this article from The New York Times to learn why too many patients are missing out on groundbreaking treatments and what needs to change:

New Cancer Drugs Are Revolutionary. Why Don’t More Patients Get Them? Targeted gene therapies are highly effective at stopping cancers, but the very abundance of the treatments, plus cost and sluggish change, are hindering access.

Today is the last day to double your impact! Every gift to the Colore**al Cancer Alliance will be matched dollar for dollar, up to $15,000. Your support helps fund promising research and move new treatments closer to patients.

Give today while your gift counts twice 👉 https://bit.ly/2026WCRD-FB

Andy nearly canceled the colonoscopy that found his stage III re**al cancer.

At 38, he felt healthier than ever. He played basketball, trained jiu-jitsu, lifted weights, and ate a plant-based diet. So when he occasionally noticed blood in his stool, he dismissed it.

A routine doctor’s appointment changed everything.

Today, after chemotherapy and surgery, Andy has had a complete response and is sharing his story in hopes that someone else will listen to their body and take action.

Read how a chain of small decisions helped save Andy’s life: https://bit.ly/Blog-ColonoscopySavedLife

Have questions or need support? Give us a call on our free helpline at 877-422-2030.

The Alliane's free helpline is supported by Olympus Corporation.

A colore**al cancer screening kit showed up at your door... now what?

The Alliance, in partnership with Cologuard®, has launched a new online hub explaining why eligible adults may receive use-at-home screening tests from their health plans, how the process works, and what steps to take next.

Screening can help find colore**al cancer earlier, when it’s more treatable. Get clear, trusted answers at crcancer.org/screenhub.

"I am one of the lucky people where the lower age for screening colonoscopies saved my life.

I had been experiencing some bleeding, but after learning I had hemorrhoids and having no other symptoms, I figured that was the cause. My grandfather died of colore**al cancer in 1991, so I knew I would get my prevention screening at age 45.

During my first colonoscopy, the doctor found a polyp over 5 cm in my colon. Tissue samples showed it was a precancerous tubular adenoma with high-grade dysplasia. I had an endoscopic submucosal dissection on a Tuesday morning. They kept me overnight for monitoring, but I was home Wednesday evening and went about my day on Thursday.

That evening, I took a turn for the worse. I developed severe stabbing abdominal pain, and when it didn’t respond to Advil, we went to the ER. A CT scan showed a small perforation at the polyp removal site, so I needed emergency surgery to remove nine inches of my sigmoid colon on Friday morning. Since the pathology from the earlier procedure wasn’t back yet, the surgical team also removed lymph nodes and surrounding tissue just in case.

Being in the hospital for five days and adjusting to a temporary ileostomy was challenging, but thankfully all pathology reports on the polyp, colon tissue, and lymph nodes came back negative for cancer. The polyp was heading in that direction, so I’m incredibly thankful screening caught it early. While the endoscopic removal would have been an easier recovery, I’m grateful everything was removed, and I’m hopeful to return to my active life with my husband and kids soon.

As an added bonus, I’m enrolled in a study developing a blood test to detect colon polyps. I hope my data helps in the future, and I hope the Colore**al Cancer Alliance continues pushing for early screenings to save more lives!" - Bethany M.

Through September 30, every gift to the Alliance will be matched dollar for dollar, up to $15,000. Donate today to double your impact and support colore**al cancer research 👉 https://bit.ly/2026WCRD-FB