March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and the American Cancer Society continues its fight to prevent cancer diagnoses by helping fund research, of which there is talk of an eventual vaccine.

Dr. Mary Disis is using her five year American Cancer Society Clinical Research Professor Award to further her efforts in developing a vaccine that could stop the cancer, which starts in the colon or rectum, before it starts. Her research team has tested their vaccine in mice, and now they’re applying to the Food and Drug Administration to study the vaccine in humans.

American Cancer Society Senior Community Development Manager Kim Durst says she hopes someday this vaccine becomes as routine as the human papillomavirus vaccine for cervical cancer, “With this HPV vaccine, starting that when they’re young, with the colon cancer as well I could see this being a great way to start utilizing, especially those with family history and so I could see it being something that’s really going to assist in helping us prevent or control colon cancer. So it’s very exciting, I look forward to hearing more about what they’re doing and where they’re coming with this new vaccine.”

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths for men and women combined in the U.S. Durst urges all adults at age 45 to start screening for colorectal cancer, and those with a family history of the illness to talk with their physician sooner.