The Northeast Regional Cancer Institute’s  annual CASUAL (Colon Cancer Awareness Saves Unlimited Adult Lives) Day will help raise awareness for colorectal cancer in northeastern Pennsylvania and teach individuals the importance of screening and early detection.

CASUAL Day 2024 is Thursday, March 28, 2024.

CASUAL  (Colon Cancer Awareness Saves Unlimited Adult Lives) Day is a program to raise awareness about the importance of screening and early detection for colon cancer in northeast Pennsylvania. The event takes place each year at the end of March - Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. On this day, participants dress CASUAL while wearing a specially  custom t-shirt to promote awareness and have a casual conversation about colon cancer.

In February of 2002, Helen Phillips was diagnosed with colon cancer. Less than six months later, the cancer took her life. In 2003, Helen’s family and friends approached the Cancer Institute to undertake a community awareness initiative to promote colorectal cancer screening - a preventative act which might have saved Helen’s life. In 2023, more than 6,000 individuals participated in CASUAL Day. All proceeds stay in northeast Pennsylvania. 2023 marked 20 years of this program.