A giant walk-through colon has been set up at Toronto’s Dufferin Mall until March 6, so the public can learn about colorectal cancer. (CBC)

It’s 12 metres wide, pink and designed to teach Torontonians about Canada's second biggest cancer killer — colorectal cancer.

The Giant Colon Tour has rolled into Toronto, kicking off Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.

In partnership with the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and Cancer Care Ontario, ColonCancerCheck has set up a giant walk-through colon at Toronto’s Dufferin Mall in the city’s west end until March 6.

After that, the colon will be at Queen’s Park on March 17 and 18, then heads to Montreal’s Salon des Générations from March 19 to 21 before stopping in Peterborough and Pembroke, Ont., at the end of the month.

The colon is owned and operated by the Colorectal Cancer Association of Canada.

"The giant colon exhibit brings with it the message about the importance of colorectal screening and how it saves lives,” Terrence Sullivan, president and CEO of Cancer Care Ontario, said in a statement.

“When people receive proper screening, the rates of colorectal cancer decline, so I urge Ontarians to visit the giant colon and learn more about this preventable disease.”

According to the Canadian Cancer Society, an estimated 8,100 Ontarians were diagnosed last year with colorectal cancer, and 3,300 died from the disease. ColonCancerCheck said there is a 90 per cent chance colorectal cancer can be cured if it’s caught early enough.

The agency urges people over 50 to talk to their family doctor about screening options.

The inflatable colon exhibit allows members of the public to see what happens inside the colon, including the appearance of polyps, hemorrhoids.

The presentation also includes a video, questions about colorectal cancer, and healthy lifestyle tips to combat the disease.