March and the media

March is annual colon cancer awareness time, and this new CDC fact sheet provides vital information relevant to colon cancer prevention and treatment. Anticipate numerous PSAs and community events highlighting the disease this month. For example, in addition to timely screening, Dr. Travis Stork from The Doctors makes suggestions about the efficacy of diet and aspirin in reducing colon cancer risk in this new video. The Doctors is one of several shows that regularly address the disease.

get your rear in gear

This colon and rectal cancer prevention program urges you to "get rear in gear." Part of Colon Cancer Coalition ongoing public education advocacy for cancer screening. This particular program sponsors runs across US (see website at http://www.getyourrearingear.com/).

Get Your Rear in Gear is bigger than just a message for colon and rectal cancer; it is a message for all of us to take action, lead longer healthier lives, go to the doctor regularly, to listen to our bodies when something isn’t right and to get the right answers, regardless of age.                

Kristin Tabor, President & Founder

what is colonoscopy?

The standard procedure for detecting colon cancer is colonoscopy, but much of the population has little understanding of what one is and what it involves. These questions and many more are effectively addressed through videos provided by numerous treatment centers and support organizations. Those displayed above were prepared by MD Anderson (see YouTube MD Anderson playlist for "colonoscopy" videos).

awareness events: Super Colon & Undy 5000

Colon cancer awareness events are increasingly commonplace in US cities. The inflatable 20-foot Super Colon, sponsored by the Prevent Cancer Foundation, is one huge vehicle for stimulating interest in matters of that organ. As shown in the top video, which includes interviews with MD Anderson's Roxanne McCormac and Dr. Rene Mueller, Super Colon encourages walking tours through it where polyps, cancerous masses, and other conditions can be inspected up close. Organizations may also now purchase inflatable colons from the Colon Cancer Alliance. The Undy 5000, shown in the bottom clip, is another attention-grabbing event that has been sponsored in many cities over recent years by the Colon Cancer Alliance.

cancer-center multimedia collections

In addition to MD Anderson, many other research and training hospitals produce cancer-related multimedia for purposes of physician, student, and patient education. In the top video, a Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center physician addresses the efficacy of  laparoscopic colon resectioning in comparison to traditional surgery (see its cancer playlist here). Also, The Mayo Clinic offers a significant body of cancer-related videos on its YouTube channel. In the lower clip, a Clinic researcher discusses the findings of a large longitudinal study of stage III colon cancer survival among patients being treated with 5-FU-based chemotherapy.

CDC's Screen For Life campaign

Since 1999, The Centers for Disease Control has waged a nationwide campaign to encourage target populations to undergo colorectal cancer testing. The program also provides guidance and funding to raise screening rates in local settings (see earlier post re Utah PSAs). The latest version of Screen for Life: National Colorectal Cancer Action Campaign employs a series of video, audio, and poster PSAs to get the message out via such celebrities as Morgan Freeman, Diane Keaton, and Jimmy Smits. In my opinion, the Terrence Howard video shown here is one of the more effective as he talks about how the cancer death of his mother could have been easily prevented. Despite such efforts, the CDC indicates that participation is still too low as 1 in 3 Americans between 50-75 years old are not currently screened (see Campaign Overview, 2012).

an effective colon cancer campaign in Utah

Utah Cancer Control has created a series of innovative public service announcements that have played a significant role in improving colon cancer screening rates across the state. Utah residents 50 years and older who reported having had a sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy increased from 48 percent in 2003 to 67 percent by 2010. As shown in the above example, the brief videos broadcast on Utah television deliver a powerful emotional message that is virtually impossible to ignore. The campaign has also generated national recognition, including that from the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors, which will honor it with the 2012 Program Delivery Award.