Cancer colon wristbands

ST. LOUIS, April 1 /PRNewswire/ -- During the NCAA basketball season, Blue Devils probably come to mind more than blue stars. However, when it comes to fighting colorectal cancer, blue stars truly take center court. This year, Colon Cancer Alliance (CCA) and the Coaches vs. Cancer program, a partnership between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches, are teaming up to encourage college basketball fans to Earn a Blue Star by pledging to tell three people at risk for colorectal/colon cancer to be screened.

Volunteers and colon cancer survivors will be passing out blue stars and CCA March Madness blue wristbands to all Sweet Sixteen and Final Four tournament attendees to encourage early detection and treatment of colon cancer. Colon cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death but does not need to be because it is one cancer that can be prevented. Former NCAA University of Missouri head basketball coach, Norm Stewart, survived a battle with colon cancer in 1989. Coach Stewart is now a passionate advocate for screening and treatment and helped pioneer the program now known as Coaches vs. Cancer in 1992.

"Colorectal cancer is one of the most preventable forms of cancer," said Stewart. "But despite the ease of diagnosis, less than half of the people who should be screened are doing so. I want everyone watching the Sweet Sixteen and Final Four to remind three people, age 50 or older or those who have a family history of the disease, to get screened for colon cancer, and tell them to tell three people."

Earn a Blue Star for colon cancer

The blue star symbolizes the fight against colon cancer. The blue stars and blue wristbands will be given out during March Madness because the month- long tribute to the best in college hoops happens to take place during National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.

The Earn a Blue Star campaign partners Coach Stewart with the Colon Cancer Alliance (CCA) and the Coaches vs. Cancer program to remind fans to get screened or encourage a loved one to do so. Ethicon Endo-Surgery Inc. (EES), a Johnson & Johnson company, is the proud sponsor of the Earn a Blue Star campaign.

Why are people putting off this potentially life-saving test? Surprisingly, many of those at risk are more afraid of the screening and surgery they would face if diagnosed, than an actual cancer diagnosis. In a recent survey of more than 700 Americans over age 50, one-fourth listed fear of a colonoscopy as the No. 1 reason they had not yet been screened and one in 10 listed surgery.

Coach Stewart knows that all too well. He was a busy Division I men's basketball coach when he collapsed on a team flight forcing him to address what turned out to be the early symptoms of colon cancer. Stewart missed the final 14 games of the 1989-90 season to undergo surgery and chemotherapy for colon cancer.

"Being diagnosed with colorectal cancer was one of the few times in my life when I was caught off guard," said Stewart. "I never even considered myself at risk for the disease, so I didn't think colon cancer screening applied to me. Now, I tell all my friends to make time for the test. Hearing you have a cancer that has spread past the early stages is far scarier than any colonoscopy, and there is now a minimally invasive surgical option that makes recovery easier if the disease is caught early."

Kevin Lewis, Board Chairman of the Colon Cancer Alliance, has a family history of colon cancer and carries the gene that predisposes him to the disease. Regular screenings and preventive health measures are part of his regular routine.

"It is not easy to get people to talk about colon cancer, but I know discussing it can be a matter of life and death," Lewis said. "We hope the Earn a Blue Star campaign starts families talking and encouraging each other to get screened for colon cancer. Watching March Madness is a family affair in my house, and we want all fans to be able to watch the tournament for many years to come."

Colon Cancer Alliance and Coaches vs. Cancer are perfect teammates The Coaches vs. Cancer program was created in 1993 to leverage the strength and celebrity of our country's basketball coaches to raise awareness about cancer risks and funding for the American Cancer Society. To date, Coaches vs. Cancer has raised more than $22 million to further the American Cancer Society's mission of eliminating cancer as a major health threat. The program includes many coaches from around the country who have been personally touched by cancer such as Stewart.

Through the Coaches vs. Cancer program, Stewart joined forces with the Colon Cancer Alliance (CCA) because of similar goals -- to help limit the number of deaths caused by cancer. The CCA is an organization of colorectal and rectal cancer survivors, their families, caregivers, people genetically predisposed to the disease, and the medical community. The nonprofit organization is dedicated to patient support, advocacy, and education. CCA has more then 15,000 members and more than 100,000 people used their services in 2004.

The Earn a Blue Star campaign was made possible through the sponsorship of Ethicon Endo-Surgery Inc. (EES), a Johnson & Johnson company, whose mission is to transform patient care through innovation by designing and manufacturing instruments used for the minimally invasive treatment of various diseases and conditions including colon cancer.

More information about the Earn a Blue Star campaign is available at http://www.mybluestar.org/ and also can be accessed through the Colon Cancer Alliance Web site at http://www.ccalliance.org/ and the American Cancer Society Web site at http://www.cancer.org/ or by calling 1-800-ACS-2345. Visitors can log on to the blue star Web site to e-mail blue star postcards to friends and family to encourage them to be screened.

CONTACT: Holly Lucas Bachand of Fleishman Hillard, +1-816-512-2427, or Amy Kelly of Colon Cancer Alliance, +1-212-627-7451

Web site: http://www.mybluestar.org/ http://www.ccalliance.org/ http://www.cancer.org/