Colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death in men and women combined. But, 60% of deaths could be prevented by effective screening. In that spirit, throughout the month of March, University of Iowa Health Care is engaging in raising awareness about the disease and the importance of screening on a number of levels.

At the individual and instructive level, Pashtoon Kasi, MD, MS, has been a retweeting machine with daily reminders and detailed information about the disease, its treatment, and a variety of publications. Give him a follow!

At the entertainment level, Riverside Theatre in Iowa City is presenting Stages, the one-man performance by David Lee Nelson, which chronicles Nelson’s own experience with colon cancer. Little Village has both a review of the show and an interview with Nelson. The performance tomorrow, 3/7 at 7:30 pm, will feature a talkback with Nelson, Muneera Kapadia, MD; Alan Gunderson, MD; and Saima Sharif, MD, MS. Tickets are nearly sold out. If you cannot get into that show, on Tuesday, March 10, from noon to 1:30 pm, in Prem Sahai Auditorium (1110 MERF), Nelson will deliver a free performance for the public.

At the visual level, providers in the Division of Gastroenterology and especially the members of its fellowship program reminds everyone to wear blue! Simple screening, they remind us, is life-changing.

Finally, on the slightly absurd, but still instructive level, on Tuesday of this week, a giant replica of a colon was inflated in the hospital atrium for instructional and Instagrammable purposes. Passers-by could pick up literature, talk with gastroenterologists and surgeons, and pose for a few photos.