Colorectal Cancer Awareness in the CF Community

rebecca5521
5 days ago
2 min read

CF Senior Saturday Meet & Greet March 2025 Event Recap

Our March 2025 CF Senior Saturday meeting discussion focused on “Colorectal Cancer Awareness,” emphasizing the urgent need for proactive screening, strong self-advocacy, and community-wide education—especially as adults with CF live longer and face new health considerations.

Key Takeaways

This session underscored that colorectal cancer (CRC) is a growing concern for adults with CF and highlighted why early screening—often before age 40—is critical.

Two powerful guest speakers shared their lived experiences:

Thomas Horal, who bravely discussed his colorectal cancer journey, encouraged attendees to advocate for earlier screenings even when they fall outside standard medical guidelines. His story is a call to action for both patients and providers to revisit what “routine” means in the context of aging with CF. Read Thomas’ story

Karen Currie, a 20-year colon cancer survivor, shared how her cancer was diagnosed before her CF. Her story served as a reminder that symptoms can overlap, and that cancer may be present even without a confirmed CF diagnosis. Karen provided an excellent list of resources to support awareness, education, and action.

The meeting also featured a highly interactive group chat, filled with links, reflections, and solidarity. This exchange exemplified the power of community-driven health promotion.

Personal Insights

Attendees resonated deeply with the theme of self-advocacy—not waiting for a provider to raise the topic of cancer screening, but instead initiating those conversations early and often. The personal stories shared added urgency and relatability to the discussion, illustrating the real-world impact of delayed screenings and the strength of informed patients who speak up.

Participants also expressed a renewed motivation to educate others in both the CF and broader communities about cancer risk, symptoms, and screening processes—especially when symptoms are easy to dismiss or misattribute to CF alone.

Conclusion

The March meeting reinforced that aging with CF brings new health challenges—but also new opportunities to lead change. Colorectal cancer is no longer a distant concern for people with CF; it’s an immediate one. By normalizing screening discussions, encouraging self-advocacy, and sharing resources, we help create a healthcare culture that sees and supports the full spectrum of CF care.

Let’s continue to prioritize this issue—not just during awareness months but year-round—and commit to reshaping guidelines, conversations, and care expectations for adults with CF.