NEW ORLEANS — Harry Connick Jr. and his wife Jill Goodacre are in town for a campaign called “The New 50.”
They are going city to city to raise awareness about colon cancer, and on Thursday night they are holding a free event at House of Blues.
The two are urging those who are 50 and older to try out a new type of at home screening that is non-invasive called Cologuard.
They hope this will help reduce the outstanding statistic of the 50,000 people who die each year from this highly treatable disease.
Statistics show that one third of adults age 50 and older in Louisiana are not getting screened as recommended.
“I didn’t want to get a colonoscopy. I really didn’t. This [Cologuard] is a great option. I’m over 50, at average risk. I took the test and I’m done. Thankfully it was negative, and I can move on with my life until I have to get screened again in 3 years,” says Harry.
“It’s the most preventable, but least prevented form of cancer and yet it’s the second leading cause of deaths among men and women combined. It’s just absurd, and we are here to tell people to go to the website and find all of the information you need. I mean we have to do better,” says Harry.
Harry and his wife are no strangers to cancer.
In 2012, Jill was diagnosed with breast cancer after a routine mammogram and sonogram.
Luckily, five years later she is cancer-free and, she says her routine screening saved her life.
For more information on this colon cancer screening click here.