Blue flags blanket National Mall for colorectal cancer awareness

March 13 (UPI) -- Thousands of blue flags are blanketing the National Mall in Washington, D.C., in front of the U.S. Capitol through March 22 to support more research, funding and treatment options for colorectal cancer.

The 27,400 flags represent the number of people, under the age of 50, projected to be diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2030, according to Fight Colorectal Cancer, which provided the United in Blue installation.

At a rally held Tuesday amid the flags, lawmakers demanded more federal funding for colorectal cancer, while announcing a $20 million research program with the Defense Department.

Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn., and others who have advocated for early detection, also called for legislation to make it easier for patients to get screened through their health insurance.

"As a colorectal survivor, I am dedicated to bringing the voices of colorectal cancer patients across the country onto the national stage," Green wrote in a post on X.

"I served in the Middle East multiple tours. I got exposed to the burn pits, and I got diagnosed with two primary cancers simultaneously," Green said during a speech at the rally. "I ignored the symptoms. And nine years ago, I was diagnosed with colon cancer. I did the radiation and lost a foot-and-a-half of my colon."

Rep. Donald Payne, Jr., D-N.J., called Tuesday's annual United in Blue event "a tribute to the survivors, caregivers and champions in our fight against colorectal cancer."

"We must bring more awareness and secure more resources to fight this deadly disease," Payne, who lost his father to the disease, wrote in a post on X.

"After my father's death, I went for my first colonoscopy," Payne told the crowd Tuesday. "I probably wouldn't have gone had he not succumbed to the disease. But when I had my first colonoscopy, they found 13 polyps. So I was on my way."

The installation of the United in Blue flags serve as a reminder to Americans during Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month to get regular screenings, Fight Colorectal Cancer said.

The installation also comes as researchers announced Wednesday that a new blood test -- that screens for colorectal cancer in average-risk individuals who have no symptoms -- accurately detected malignancy during trial in 83% of those confirmed to have the disease, which kills on average 50,000 people every year.

While the blood test's accuracy for colorectal cancer is similar to stool-based tests, it is lower than a colonoscopy. Still, researchers say it will save lives.

"Blood-based screening tests are more acceptable to people than colonoscopy and stool tests and likely will increase screening compliance," said Dr. William Grady, medical director of Fred Hutchinson's Gastrointestinal Cancer Prevention Program in Seattle.

And, he said, "This would lead to fewer colorectal cancer-related deaths."