Here are four insights:
1. The Montana Department of Health and Human Services is pursuing an 80 percent screening rate for Montanans, ages 50 to 75, by 2018.
2. Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths both nationally and in Montana, with an average of 490 Montanans diagnosed each year from 2009 to 2014. Over the same period, 172 died from it annually.
3. The statewide effort to get more Montanans screened includes PSAs featuring Helena, Mont.-based Carroll College football coach Mike Van Diest talking about the disease and printed materials designed to provide quick information on getting screened.
4. Nationwide, nearly 700 organizations have joined the efforts to increase screening numbers while working to make it easier to do so, including Blue Cross Blue Shield of Montana.
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