"The Roommate" star Minka Kelly is using her personal tragedy to help others, lending her talents to a new Stand Up To Cancer PSA for National Colon Cancer Awareness Month.

Minka decided to film this PSA because of her personal experience with cancer. Minka says, "My mom had colon cancer and it went undiagnosed for awhile. It was unfortunate and unnecessary."

Despite losing her mother to cancer, Minka says, "You can go a couple of different ways, you can be either bitter and resentful and angry or become loving and compassionate and wise."

Minka stresses the importance of checkups for early detection of colon cancer. She says, "If I can get someone to get their moms to the doctors sooner or get themselves to the doctors sooner. If one person pays a little more attention to their body because of my story, I would have succeeded in some way."

March is National Colon Cancer Awareness Month.