A little bit of education goes a long way, especially in the war against cancer. Armed with facts and figures and know-how, we can help advance prevention and early detection of this deadly disease.

So in the spirit of National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, here are seven truths that serve to broaden your horizons about the third most common cancer found in men and women in this country.

As you read these truths, be aware that the death rate from colorectal cancer has been on a downward climb for the past 15 years due to better screening, fewer diagnosed cases, early detection, and more advanced treatment. Keep in mind that you can help keep this trend going by raising your own awareness and by taking action on behalf of yourself and your loved ones.

• Colorectal cancer refers to cancer that starts in the colon or rectum. These cancers begin in the digestive system where food is processed to create energy and rid the body of solid waste matter.

• Colorectal cancers develop slowly over a period of years and mostly begin in the form of polyps -- growths of tissue that start in the lining and grow into the center of the colon or rectum. Removing polyps early may prevent them from becoming cancerous. More than 95 percent of colon and rectal cancers are called adenocarcinomas.

• For people of average risk, screening is recommended beginning at age 50. Those whose risk is higher than average should talk with a physician about appropriate screening.

• Screening is used to detect disease in people who do not have any symptoms. In many cases, screening tests find colorectal cancers at an early stage and greatly improve the chances of successful treatment. Screening tests can prevent some cancers by allowing doctors to find and remove polyps that might become cancer. There are several tests used to look for colorectal cancer. Ask your doctor what test is best for you.

• Treatment for colorectal cancer includes surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and newer targeted therapies.

• The American Cancer Society predicts there will be 112,340 new cases of colon cancer and 41,420 new cases of rectal cancer in 2007 in the United States. Combined, the diseases will cause about 52,180 deaths.

• The Colorectal Cancer Coalition -- or C3 -- is a national organization whose mission is to eliminate suffering and death due to colon and rectal cancer through advocacy. Visit here for more information.

The material shared in this post was gathered from the websites of the American Cancer Society and the Colorectal Cancer Coalition.

It's March. And that means it's the national month for Brain Injury Awareness, Endometriosis Awareness, Nutrition Awareness, Eye Health and Safety Awareness, Multiple Sclerosis Awareness, Sleep Awareness, Problem Gambling Awareness and my favorite, for the purposes of The Cancer Blog -- Colorectal Cancer Awareness.

Colorectal cancer -- cancer of the colon or rectum -- is a disease that affects both men and women and is preventable nearly 90 percent of the time.

Starting at age 50, men at women at average risk for the disease should get screened. Those with increased risk, like African-Americans who typically develop colorectal cancer at younger ages, should be screened even earlier.

Screening -- by way of fecal occult blood test (FOBT), flexible sigmoidoscopy, and colonoscopy -- is critical because colorectal cancer often occurs with no symptoms. Symptoms do sometimes present themselves in the later stages of the disease and include rectal bleeding, bright red blood in or on the stool, change in bowel habits, stools that are narrower than usual, general stomach discomfort, diarrhea, constipation, frequent gas pains, unexplained weight loss, constant fatigue, and vomiting. Persistence of any of these symptoms for more than two weeks warrant an immediate visit with a health professional.

Treatment for this disease, which strikes about 153,000 people and causes about 52,000 deaths each year, includes surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy.

In the spirit of this National Colorectal Awareness Month, experts recommend remembering these important points:

• Colorectal cancer can be prevented.
• Screening for the disease can identify polyps -- grape-sized growths in the colon and/or rectum -- that can be removed to prevent cancer from developing.
• The magic age for screening is 50 -- unless you have an increased risk for the disease.
• Colorectal cancer is treatable.
• Regardless of your age, know the risk factors, know the symptoms, and know your family history.
• Talk with your health professional about colorectal cancer and your own risk for the disease.

Former NASCAR champion Benny Parsons, hospitalized on December 26 due to complications from lung cancer, died today in Charlotte, North Carolina after a short battle with the disease. He was 65.

Parsons, who had not smoked since 1978, was diagnosed with cancer in his left lung in July 2006. He underwent aggressive chemotherapy and radiation and announced in October that he was in remission. But the intensive treatment rendered his left lung useless and then a blood clot appeared in his right lung, prompting his admission to the hospital where he spent his remaining days in an induced coma.

Parsons was confident he could survive with one lung and compared his condition to that of John Wayne.

"John Wayne lived and had a great career with one lung," he said. "There is no reason why I can't do the same. It will take a little while for the right lung to pull the weight for the left lung so until then I will still need to use oxygen when I walk. I won't need it sitting or commentating races and to me that is the main thing. If given a choice between cancer or losing a lung I would say that I got the right end of the deal."

Parson's intense spirit was his trademark. It motivated him to rise from a poor childhood, leave behind a taxi driving job, and head straight to the top of NASCAR. His success is marked by his 1994 induction into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame and his 1995 induction into the National Motorsports Press Association's Stock Car Racing Hall of Fame.

One of NASCAR's 50 greatest drivers and the 1973 champion, Parsons retired from racing in 1988 and headed straight into a broadcasting career. He spent the past six years as a commentator for NBC and TNT and even continued to call races from the booth during his treatment. He hosted a weekly radio program and kept fans updated on his condition on his very own blog.

Judging by the comments left for Parsons on a January 8th post about his hospitalization, there was an abundance of love for this man, nicknamed BP by the NASCAR community.

"He was a great driver and a terrific broadcaster, but above anything else he was a kind and generous human being," said Dick Ebersol, chairman of NBC Sports. "His character and spirit will define how he is remembered by all of us. Benny will be sorely missed."

Parson's death comes eight days after the death of NASCAR driver and Truck Series Champion Bobby Hamilton.

Scientists have determined that mouth cancer develops in two different ways which dictates the seriousness of the disease. This finding, revealed on Tuesday, could lead to better prevention and treatment. In laboratory experiments with healthy, early, and advanced cancer cells, researchers were able to pinpoint differences in the cells that determined the aggressiveness of the cancer. They found faults in the p53 gene, which stops damaged cells from dividing, and in the p16 gene, which helps regulate and prevent cancer from developing. Both changes are linked to more aggressive tumors. This is first-time evidence that some mouth cancer tumors are more aggressive than others and are unfortunately linked to poor patient survival.

Oral cancer typically stems from pre-cancerous lesions, changes, or patches in the mouth -- all of which are early signs of cancer. Recognizing which pre-cancerous changes are more likely to develop into aggressive tumors would allow doctors an insight that could help them prescribe the best treatment.

Smoking, use of chewing tobacco, and heavy alcohol consumption are the leading causes of mouth cancer. And smoking and drinking are a very dangerous combination. Like lung cancer, mouth cancer usually develops in people age 50 or older.

Decide what you want, decide what you are willing to exchange for it. Establish your priorities. And go to work. - H.L. Hunt

NutritionData Nutrition Facts & Calorie Counter offers a comprehensive common sense approach to successful weight loss from experts in nutrition and fitness for those interested in losing weight. Following is the information provided by NutritionData.

• The 2 Most Important Facts about Successful Weight Loss
• The 6 Most Important Principles for Enabling Weight Loss
• The Best Way to Satisfy Your Hunger Without Overeating
• The Best Nutritional Supplements for Weight Loss
• The Best Exercises for Weight Loss
• The Best Way to Monitor Your Weight Loss Progress
• The Best Thing to Do if Your Diet Fails
• Summary of Weight Loss Secrets
• Where to Get Additional Weight Loss Help

The Secrets of Weight Loss is one area within the NutritionData website -- and it is a fantastic destination for anything and everything you might want to know about food and nutrition. At NutritionData you can analyze any food, compare multiple foods, find foods that match specific criteria, learn more about nutrition and dieting, estimate your daily needs, track your total consumption, analyze and improve your recipes, generate custom nutrition facts labels, read about the 50 most popular foods and learn fast food facts.

Warning: You will spend much more time there than you planned -- reading about nutrition, the better choices diet, the fullness factor and comparing foods -- as these are just a few of the sections within this website. Seriously, this place is deep and rich in content.

I just received in the mail my Certificate of Completion for St. Jude's  Campaign for a Cure. I have never really known much about St. Jude Children's Research Hospital -- except that I can be brought to tears by the television specials that showcase sick children whose lives depend on the research and treatment that this hospital offers. But I came to know more about St. Jude this year after a friend asked me to make a donation for the Up 'til Dawn program he sponsors on the college campus where he works -- a program that involves more than 150 college campuses nationwide and partners faculty, staff, students, and communities in an extravaganza of activity, education, and fundraising to benefit the children at St. Jude. So I made a donation and then was contacted by St. Jude with an invitation to help them further -- and I did. I sent out 10 pre-written letters to friends and family asking for their support. I was given an attainable fundraising goal. And I met it. So this is why I received my certificate -- and some cheery address labels too.