Nothing is harder than cancer – especially when you don’t see it coming.

I was 43 when I was diagnosed with stage-3b colorectal cancer. The date was March 27, 2012, five days after my birthday. Imagine my surprise when I went in for a colonoscopy, and my doctor found a tumor as long as a dollar bill had been growing, unnoticed for who knows how long.

My life for the next 11 months was overwhelmed by hospitals, chemo, and surgery that left me with a permanent colostomy, left ventricular hypertrophy, and neuropathy in my feet. And, recently, I was diagnosed with chemotherapy-related hearing loss and am at risk for vision loss. But after all this, more than 13 years later, I am cancer-free. I’m one of the lucky ones.

June is Men’s Health Month. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is now the leading cause of cancer-related death for American men under 50 and is estimated to claim nearly 53,000 lives across the U.S. this year alone.

Here in Tennessee, CRC remains the second leading cause of cancer death, with an estimated 3,560 Tennesseans expected to be diagnosed and 1,610 expected to die from the disease this year alone. Still, less than 75 percent of Tennesseans over the age of 50 are up to date on screenings. So this June, let’s get serious about these screenings and serious about CRC prevention in men. 

I cannot stress enough the importance of getting tested early and often. CRC is no longer just “an older person’s disease." CDC guidelines recommend screenings for everyone aged 45 and up at average risk. Getting screened on time can be a life-changing decision. Thankfully, there are several options available to do so. Colonoscopies are the gold standard, but stool tests are also a valuable screening method.  

I’m also encouraged to see that the American Cancer Society recently updated its colorectal cancer guidelines to recommend a new blood-based test to help close this screening gap. Tests like Shield by Guardant Health, the first and only FDA-approved blood test as a primary screening option for CRC, provide a quick and easy option for those at average risk. 

My cancer diagnosis changed my life. But yours doesn’t have to. Get screened when you’re due for it so that, when your doctor sees something concerning, it can be stopped. And with medical innovation, like blood test screenings, making preventive care more accessible than ever, you have no excuse to put it off.

On the topic of men’s health, I am proud to be the chairman of the board of directors for Man Up to Cancer, an organization that encourages men to avoid isolation and find connection during cancer. Men value strength, but too often in our culture, expressing emotion and vulnerability is perceived as weakness. When we face challenges, we’re expected to get through them. Rub a little dirt on it and keep walking. But that can be damaging to a man’s mental health, quality of life, and clinical outcomes. My experience speaks to the fact that connection matters. By sharing my cancer journey, I can help other men who are in the fight for their lives. I can also help men avoid walking in my shoes by encouraging them to get screened.

So guys, call your doctor and get screened. Your life may depend on it.

Michael Holtz is chairman of the board for Man Up to Cancer and a national ambassador for Fight Colorectal Cancer.