Super Colon Zigzags Across the U.S. Visiting Communities Hardest Hit by Colon Cancer
MEDIA CONTACT:
Brandon Pinney
703-307-7328
Brandon.Pinney@preventcancer.org
Prevent Cancer Foundation Set to Commemorate March as National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — In keeping with its theme for 2008’s National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month in March — Let’s Make Colon Cancer Preventable! Beatable! Treatable! For All Communities — the Prevent Cancer Super Colon® is making a special visit to eight communities across the country saddled with the highest burden of colon cancer.
The Foundation is partnering with Hope Through Grace Foundation to make Houston, TX, the first stop of the cross-country tour. Houston has the second largest Hispanic population and the third largest African American population. African Americans and Hispanics are often diagnosed with late stage colon cancer because these populations are less likely to undergo regular screening. Alaska Natives and Northern Plain Tribes have the highest colorectal cancer rates in the nation so the Super Colon will also visit Fairbanks, AK, and Indian Country in Kansas, Nebraska and South Dakota.
Rounding out the tour, the Super Colon will also make stops in Wichita, Kan., Chicago, Ill., Omaha and Kearney, Neb., and the town of York in North Central Pennsylvania. The Let’s Make Colon Cancer Preventable! Beatable! Treatable! For All Communities tour is part of the Foundation’s larger 2008 colorectal cancer awareness efforts. The Super Colon tour will make a total of 22 stops throughout National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. In 2008, the Super Colon will visit a record number of cities, over 70 stops are already in the works, doubling last year’s number!
The Foundation addresses colon cancer year round and will distribute 150,000 colon cancer Buddy Bracelets® and English and Spanish awareness brochures to the public in the month of March alone. In addition, the Foundation is launching a special section on its Web site at preventcancer.org/colorectal where the public can order education materials on the importance of colon cancer screening to share with family and friends and read answers from experts on topics as varied as who’s at risk and who should be screened for colon cancer, the role of diet and weight, and what “virtual” colonoscopy means.
Other National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month initiatives include the unveiling of the first public service announcement in a new public relations campaign spearheaded by the Prevent Cancer Foundation in conjunction with C-Change, a consortium comprised of the nation’s key cancer leaders from the government, business and nonprofit sectors, the National Ad Council and Edelman, a public relations firm. The campaign, called Check Your Status & REDUCE CANCER RISK, is composed of a series of ads serving as a reminder to get screened for each of the eight preventable cancers. The first advertisement in the series is for colon cancer and depicts a middle-aged Elvis impersonator in full garb next to the headline “Remember this?” Underneath the photo the text reads, “Then it’s time to get screened for colon cancer. Starting at 50, you can reduce your risk by talking to your doctor.” The campaign was undertaken as a means of highlighting the fact that although colon cancer is the second leading killer of men and women in terms of cancer deaths, the disease is 90% curable when detected early and everyone should get screened. People may view the advertisement and help raise awareness and fund pioneering colon cancer prevention research in 2008 by visiting our Web site at preventcancer.org and signing-up to stay informed.
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About the Prevent Cancer Foundation
The mission of the Prevent Cancer Foundation is cancer prevention and early detection through research, education and community outreach to all populations, including children and the underserved.
preventcancer.org
About National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
In 2000, the Prevent Cancer Foundation partnered with champions in Congress to designate and commemorate the month of March as the very first National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.
About the Prevent Cancer Super Colon®
The Prevent Cancer Super Colon®, an inflatable, 20 foot long, 8 foot high replica of a human colon, is an interactive educational tool that is teaching people all across America that colorectal cancer is preventable, treatable and beatable! Visitors learn about the importance of colorectal cancer screening, prevention tips, risk for developing colorectal cancer, symptoms and treatment options.
Special thanks to our NCRCAM sponsors: Premier Benefactor — Bristol-Myers Squibb; Major Benefactor — Roche; and Benefactor — Amgen
Special thanks to our Let’s Make Colon Cancer Preventable! Beatable! Treatable! For All Communities sponsor: sanofi-aventis U.S. LLC