Published on March 7, 2008
MEDIA CONTACT:
Jasmine Greenamyer
703-837-3695
jasmine.greenamyer@preventcancer.org
First-Ever Consensus Guidelines for Colorectal Cancer Screening
Highlights Cancer Prevention as the Primary Goal
ALEXANDRIA, VA — The Prevent Cancer Foundation welcomes the newly released colorectal cancer screening guidelines by the American Cancer Society, the U.S. Multi-Society Task Force on Colorectal Cancer, and the American College of Radiology. These are the first-ever joint consensus guidelines for colorectal cancer screening for average-risk adults.
Bernard Levin, M.D., co-chairman of the Prevent Cancer Foundation’s Scientific Review Panel and member of its Medical Advisory Board, and professor emeritus at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, states, “We are confident that these new screening guidelines give providers and patients an opportunity to prevent colorectal cancer from developing. We purposely emphasized tests that can remove precancerous polyps or lesions before they turn into cancer.” Levin was the lead author of the study and actively involved in the creation of these new guidelines, which add two new tests to the list of recommended screening options: Stool DNA test (sDNA) and CT colonography (CTC), also known as virtual colonoscopy.
Although colorectal cancer is the second leading cancer killer, it is highly preventable through early detection and the removal of suspicious polyps. Carolyn Aldigé, president and founder of the Prevent Cancer Foundation, notes, “Colorectal cancer is one of the most preventable of all cancers and one of the few that can be actually prevented by screening. Our slogan is ‘Colorectal Cancer: Preventable! Treatable! Beatable!’ These new guidelines represent an important step forward in catching cancer before it develops.”
The Prevent Cancer Foundation — which spearheaded the designation of March as National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month and is committed to public awareness of colorectal cancer prevention and early detection — applauds the two-year effort culminating in new consensus guidelines. The Foundation also encourages clinicians to make patients aware of the full range of screening options now available while being mindful that prevention should be the primary goal of colorectal cancer screening.
The guidelines, based on the most current scientific evidence and expert opinion available, can be viewed at: http://caonline.amcancersoc.org/misc/guidelines.shtml.
For more information about colorectal cancer or the Prevent Cancer Foundation, please visit:www.preventcancer.org/colorectal.
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About Prevent Cancer Foundation
The Prevent Cancer Foundation (formerly the Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation) was started in 1985 when Founder and President Carolyn Aldigé first understood the power of prevention to defeat cancer – and recognized that too few of the country’s resources were used to promote cancer prevention research or education. Today, it is one of the nation’s leading health organizations and has catapulted cancer prevention to prominence. Through healthy lifestyle choices, you can reduce your risk of breast, cervical, colorectal, lung, oral, prostate, skin and testicular cancers.
Since its inception the Foundation has provided more than $97 million in support of cancer prevention and early detection research, education and community outreach programs. The Foundation’s peer-reviewed grants have been awarded to more than 300 scientists from more than 150 of the leading academic medical centers nationwide. This research has been pivotal in developing a body of knowledge that is the basis for important cancer prevention and early detection strategies. For more information, please visit www.preventcancer.org.
