FAP/AFAP Awareness Week Proclamation Campaign

Michigan advocates started succeeding with the Michigan Governor proclaiming the week of June 16th as Familial Adenomatous Polyposis/Attenuated Familial Adenomatous Polyposis Week. This week was chosen to honor Carleton Myers who had FAP and lived to be 96. For consistency and to honor Carleton please continue this practice where you live. 

Please send this to your Congressional Members, Governor, Mayor, etc to request the week of June 16th to be designated Familial Adenomatous Polyposis Awareness Week. You may also consider reaching out to your Department of Health for assistance and inclusion.

WHEREAS, Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP) is a hereditary condition in which an individual can develop hundreds to thousands of polyps in the colon; and,

WHEREAS, if undiagnosed and/or untreated, the polyps can lead to colorectal cancer at an average of 39 years; affected individuals are also at an increased risk of developing small intestinal cancer, thyroid cancer, stomach cancer, pancreatic cancer, liver cancer, brain cancer, desmoid tumors, and osteomas; and,

WHEREAS, Attenuated Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (AFAP) is a variant of the condition with similar risks, but is typically associated with fewer colon polyps that develop later in life than in classic FAP; and, 

WHEREAS, a person affected by FAP/AFAP may be unaware of having the condition, and, the brothers, sisters, and children of the affected individual have a 50% risk of also having inherited the syndrome; FAP/AFAP can be diagnosed through a colonoscopy and through genetic testing, which can enable family members to avoid unnecessary screening if it is determined that they do not have either condition; and, 

WHEREAS, appropriate screenings and accurate health management in those affected with FAP/AFAP can significantly reduce their risk of colon and other cancers from nearly 100% to nearly zero, enabling those who are effectively treated to live to normal life expectancies and improve quality of life; and, 

WHEREAS, during this week, we join others to raise awareness of FAP/AFAP and encourage all individuals to gather their family history, talk with their health care provider to determine their need for genetic counseling and testing for FAP/AFAP and other hereditary cancers, and communicate this with their family members in order to save lives