The Rollin’ Colon, a 10-foot-high inflatable colon, returned to Montefiore Einstein on Friday, March 28, to educate the community about colorectal cancer. Montefiore Einstein officials said the event, highlighting Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, which takes place each March, was interactive and the goal was to educate Bronx residents on how to prevent and treat the disease.

 

“We closed out Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month with the Rollin’ Colon!” Montefiore Einstein officials later wrote on X. “Attendees stepped inside an oversized inflatable colon to see firsthand why early detection matters and how new screening options are making it easier.”

 

The hospital team said colorectal cancer is on the rise in younger populations and represents the second-leading cause of cancer death in New York City. They said the event offered access to the hospital’s clinical team, as well as helpful resources and literature on the importance of early colorectal cancer detection and treatment.

 

The team stressed that unlike other cancer screening tests, colonoscopies are the only form of cancer screening where during screening, early stages of cancer can be both detected and removed before the cancer spreads. Montefiore Einstein officials said its Comprehensive Cancer Center offers the most advanced colon cancer care, support and access to clinical trials, in the Bronx community.

 

They added that newer initiatives discussed at the event included FIT testing i.e. safe painless tests shared with patients to look for signs of colorectal cancer at Montefiore Einstein primary care locations. Others included AI-powered, virtual patient navigators that engage people missing their colonoscopy appointments, and virtual colonoscopies, which they said are now covered by Medicare.