Cases of colorectal cancer in people under the age of 50 have been rising in the U.S. over the past several decades, and no one knows why.
More than 27,000 blue flags are now planted on the National Mall in D.C., representing the number of people under the age of 50 who are projected to be diagnosed with the disease in 2030.
As you may remember, Actor Chadwick Boseman, who is known for his role as the “Black Panther,” died of colon cancer in 2020 at the age of 43.
His wife, Simone Boseman, joined other advocates at the National Mall on Tuesday to rally for more research, treatment options, and funding to battle the disease.
“It makes me angry that colorectal cancer diagnoses had been rising so dramatically in young people and young black people in particular for 15 years before he was diagnosed, and we still knew nothing about it,” said Boseman.
Advocates who organized the rally plan to meet with members of Congress to fight for what they call “more urgency, more equity, and more funding” for colorectal cancer research.