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Fast Facts: “The most common symptom of colon cancer is no symptoms.” That’s what doctors have thought for years. But a new study published in a leading cancer journal suggests otherwise. At least for people younger than 50. Doctors at Washington University School of Medicine looked at 27,000 people younger … Read more

Q: What do these celebrities have in common? Race car driver, John Andretti (age 56). Actor, Chadwick Boseman (age 43). Actress, Jeanette Maus (age 39). And TikTok star “Enkyboys” dad, Randy Gonzalez (age 35).  A: Sadly, they’re all part of a growing trend. Each of them was diagnosed with colon … Read more

Fast Facts In the last article we discussed how people are getting colon cancer at a younger age. The thing many young people who get colon cancer have in common is that they have an unhealthy balance of bacteria in their guts.  The gut microbiome is made up of all … Read more

Fast Facts: Does it seem like you know more and more people getting diagnosed with colon cancer? If it does, you’re not alone. And the people you hear about getting diagnosed are probably younger than you might expect them to be. Early onset colorectal cancer is colon or rectal cancer … Read more

Fast Facts: A lot of people have the idea that getting screened for colon cancer is messy or embarrassing. Or kind of gross. Some people may think they don’t need to get screened because they are perfectly healthy. Or maybe they just don’t have any risk factors. Whatever your reason … Read more

“At age 53, John Andretti was the picture of health – still fit from a career in Motorsports, swearing he would always race again and never officially retiring. He was the last person anyone expected to receive a cancer diagnosis, but in January of 2017, his colonoscopy came back positive for cancerous polyps. His diagnosis made him face the decision of either fighting the disease privately or announcing it to the public. He decided that, although this diagnosis is devastating, he would use it to bring awareness to the disease, advocating for proper screening and early detection,” reads the home page of the Checkit4Andretti Foundation. Sadly, John died in January 2020, but his family continues his legacy through the foundation and advocacy work.

Fast Facts: In addition to getting screened, other ways to reduce your risk of getting colon cancer include: staying physically active, maintaining a healthy weight, avoiding processed foods, alcohol and tobacco products. How can I avoid getting colon cancer? Over 75% of people who get colon cancer have no identifiable … Read more

2022 has been an amazing year for CheckIt4Andretti.org! John Andretti’s life and legacy continues to motivate and inspire his family, friends and fans to help those in need. Since achieving 501c3 status in March of 2021, CheckIt4Andretti has established partnerships with NorthEast Digestive Health and The Free and Charitable Clinics … Read more

Most of us know someone who has battled colon cancer. It’s the third most common type of cancer in the US. And it’s the second most common cause of cancer deaths in men and women combined. Even though colon cancer happens so often, doctors still don’t know exactly what causes … Read more

March 12, 2022 would have been John Andretti’s 59th Birthday. March also happens to be Colon Cancer Awareness month. To honor John’s legacy, his family started the CheckIt4Andretti Charitable Foundation forging a unique partnership model with NE Digestive Health in Concord, NC and the Free and Charitable Clinics of North … Read more

My doctor advises that I get a colonoscopy every five years due to a strong family history of the disease.  I had postponed making the appointment  due to the pandemic, a new job, an ailing father, and other commitments.  I had heard of the Andretti family, and specifically, John, through … Read more

A lot of people want to know “the most likely age” a disease might happen. Getting screened, eating healthy, exercising and minimizing alcohol and tobacco can take some of the joy out of life. Especially if a disease might not strike until later in life. You might think of colon … Read more

Every American between the ages of 45-75 should be screened for colon cancer. In the last post we talked about how screening tests are used to check for signs of colon cancer before you have any symptoms. Now we’re going to look at the different types of screening tests and … Read more

There is a lot of confusion about when is the right age to get screened for colon cancer. As a matter of fact, even the experts differed on the best age to recommend screening. That’s why they turned to the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). This is a group … Read more

When John Andretti was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2017 at the age of 53, he was healthy and active. John had a lot of questions so he turned to experts for answers. John fought valiantly. He went through surgeries, chemotherapy and even tried experimental treatments. But because of the … Read more