Montefiore Hospital set up a “rolling colon” display Friday to help educate community members on colorectal cancer.  

The display, which took place inside a gigantic inflatable colon, showed New Yorkers how normal tissue can begin to develop into small polyps. If the polyps aren’t removed, health experts say they can transform into serious concerns over time, such as advanced colon cancer.  

Johnie Bunting says he always held out on seeing the doctor unless it was absolutely necessary. He regularly skipped his annual checkups when it came to getting a colonoscopy, and it wasn’t until he was diagnosed with colorectal cancer that he and his son Johnie Jr. began to approach receiving a colonoscopy differently.  

After Bunting’s radiation therapy on Friday, Bunting and his son stopped by the Rollin' Colon event to learn more about preventative measures.  

“If something is starting to go wrong, I want to know about it at the beginning so I can be proactive and take care of it,” said Johnie Jr.  

Dr. Akash Kumar, medical director for the Montefiore Einstein Cancer Center, says that 600 Bronx residents are diagnosed with the cancer annually – and that number could be much less.  

“People just don’t know enough about colon cancer,” said Kumar. “So, they get tested when it’s too late.” 

Kumar says the key to preventing the cancer is to start screening tests annually once you turn 45 years old.