Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford Goes Blue For Colon Health Month - Colon Cancer is the 2nd Leading Cause of Cancer-Related Death for Adults

Rutherford County, TN - On March 1st, Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford hospital lit their building blue in honor of colorectal cancer awareness month. According to the American Cancer Society, colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death for adults in the United States.

Dr. Peter Dunaway, a board-certified gastroenterologist at Ascension Saint Thomas in Murfreesboro said a percentage of colon cancer cases are likely have a genetic factor to them... Outside of genetics, Dr. Dunaway talked about some of the contributing factors that lead to colorectal cancer…

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, colorectal cancer, or colon cancer for short, occurs when cells in the colon or rectum grow out of control. The colon itself is the large intestine or large bowel.

Throughout the month of March, the hospital’s oncology team in Murfreesboro will be highlighting the importance of screening for colorectal cancer and ways to promote healthy lifestyle habits that can decrease a person's risk of developing colon cancer.

Gordon Ferguson, president and CEO of Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford said, “We are proud to recognize and show support for colon health with our facility going blue for the month of March.” Ferguson further highlighted, “As we all know, regular colon screenings may help find cancers early when they are most treatable. We hope, with our hospital going blue, we remind our community members to discuss risk factors and screening recommendations with their primary care providers.”

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