Backstreet Boy Urges Children to Get in Their Parents' Face About Colon
Cancer
Source: Yahoo News
Tuesday March 16, 8:04 am ET
PSA Campaign Featuring Kevin Richardson Launches During Colon Cancer
Awareness Month in March to Educate on Second Deadliest Cancer
NEW YORK, March 16 /PRNewswire/ -- When children are young, they are often
forced to endure awkward, yet loving, lectures from parents trying to
protect them from the consequences of unprotected sex, smoking or drugs. Now
that these children are adults, it's time for them to put their parents in
the hot seat and get them talking about a silent killer that is affecting
their generation -- colon, or colorectal (CRC), cancer. Despite the fact
that it kills thousands of parents and grandparents every year, colon cancer
is one of the most detectable, and if found early enough, most treatable
forms of cancer. That is why Kevin Richardson of the Backstreet Boys, who
lost his own father to colon cancer, has teamed up with the Colon Cancer
Alliance (CCA) and Genentech to launch "It's Time To Talk About CRC" -- a
campaign designed to increase dialogue about colon cancer and educate those
at risk about treatment and prevention. Kevin Richardson will confront these
issues in several contemporary, pop-culture-style public service
announcements (PSAs) calling for children to begin the conversation with
parents. PSAs will begin airing in March during Colon Cancer Awareness
Month.
"Many people, especially those in our parents' generation, are too
embarrassed to discuss colon cancer because it involves parts of the body
that are uncomfortable to talk about," said Kevin Richardson, member of the
successful pop group, the Backstreet Boys and advocate for colon cancer
awareness. "My father did not know the importance of talking about the
disease or getting screened for it; he was only 49 when it took his life. I
am hoping that this program can help prevent others from going through the
pain that I went through."
Colon cancer is the second leading cause of death from cancer in the United
States and will lead to more than 57,000 deaths in 2004. Every four minutes,
someone is diagnosed with the disease and every nine minutes, someone dies.
While colon cancer can strike at any age, many new cases are in people ages
50 or older.
"Not only are younger generations more involved in their healthcare
decisions, but they are also more open to discussing topics that were taboo
in their parents' generation," said Kevin Lewis of the Colon Cancer
Alliance. "Campaigns such as 'It's Time to Talk About CRC' represent an
important platform to educate people at risk for a disease that can be
prevented or treated if detected early. The message is simple. Get
screened."
Kevin Richardson will be featured in several PSAs, urging children to talk
to their parents and grandparents about colon cancer. Broadcast and radio
PSAs will be distributed nationwide, targeted to outlets that reach the MTV
generation -- those with at-risk Baby Boomer parents. To complement the PSA,
educational information on colon cancer, including a guide for talking to
loved ones about the disease and facts on screening options, will also be
available by calling the CCA hotline at 1-877-422-2030 or by visiting
www.ccalliance.org.
About Colorectal Cancer Screening
According to the Harvard Center for Cancer Prevention, regular screening,
combined with a healthy lifestyle, can prevent more than half of colon
cancer deaths. That means as many as 30,000 lives could be saved each year
if more people received regular screenings.
Screening tests are designed to look for growths, or polyps, in the colon
and remove them before they become cancerous. Tests also can find cancer at
an early stage when treatment may be more effective. Once these early
growths are removed, the risk of developing colon cancer substantially
decreases. Regular screening programs include annual take-home stool tests,
periodic partial or full colon exams, or both.
"Screening becomes even more important for individuals, like Kevin
Richardson and myself, who have a family history of colon cancer," continued
Kevin Lewis. "Through testing, I've learned that I inherited the gene that
pre-disposes me to colon cancer and I have already had several polyps
removed."
Family history is one of the most important risk factors for colon cancer,
and it is one of the easiest topics for starting a conversation about the
disease. Key questions to ask include:
-- Does colon cancer run in our family? If so, how old was the family
member when he/she was diagnosed?
-- Have you ever been screened for colon cancer?
-- Have doctors ever found polyps or abnormal growths in your colon? About Colorectal Cancer
Colorectal cancer (CRC), often referred to simply as colon cancer, includes
cancers of the colon, rectum, appendix and anus. Symptoms may include change
in bowel habits, abdominal discomfort or unexplained weight loss, among
others, but most patients are diagnosed with no symptoms at all. Colorectal
cancer is the second leading cause of death from cancer in the United States
and the third most frequently diagnosed cancer. The American Cancer Society
estimates that approximately 147,000 people will be diagnosed with
colorectal cancer in 2004 and approximately 57,000 people will die from the
disease -- that is equivalent to about 150 deaths per day. Individuals with
a family history of colon cancer are at a greater risk for the disease and
should have regular screening at an earlier age.
About the Colon Cancer Alliance
The Colon Cancer Alliance (CCA) is a national patient advocacy organization
dedicated to ending the suffering caused by colorectal cancer. The CCA
brings the voice of survivors to battle colorectal cancer through patient
support, education, research and advocacy. In order to achieve these goals,
the CCA hereby declares war on colorectal cancer. Today, CCA has over 9,000
members, including colon and rectal cancer survivors, their families,
caregivers, people genetically predisposed to the disease and the medical
community.
About Genentech
Genentech is a leading biotechnology company that discovers, develops,
manufactures and commercializes biotherapeutics for significant unmet
medical needs. Eighteen of the currently approved biotechnology products
originated from or are based on Genentech science. Genentech manufactures
and commercializes 13 biotechnology products in the United States. The
company has headquarters in South San Francisco, California and is traded on
the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DNA. For additional information
about the company, please visit http://www.gene.com .
Listen to an interview with Kevin about Colon Cancer