Contact: Dana Victor Montenegro 202/973-5871 or [email protected]
TIPSHEET FOR COLON CANCER STORIES Experts from the American College of Gastroenterology Available for Interviews
ARLINGTON, VA, October 2, 1998 -- Yesterday, World Series champion and New York Yankees outfielder Darryl Strawberry announced that he had been diagnosed with colon cancer. Surgery is scheduled for this Saturday. Strawberry sought testing at the advice of his childhood friend and fellow baseball player Eric Davis of the Baltimore Orioles, who himself underwent treatment for colon cancer in 1997.
Colorectal cancer is America's number 2 cancer killer, second only to lung cancer and surpassing both breast and prostate cancer. Women are just as likely as men to develop the disease. According to the American Cancer Society, more than 131,000 new cases will be detected in 1998, and 55,000 people will die.
Most colon cancers develop from benign polyps. Early removal of polyps during screening can eliminate most colon cancers. A recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that more than 90 percent of deaths associated with colorectal cancer could be avoided through early detection and removal of premalignant polyps.
To facilitate story development on colon cancer, the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG), an association of 7,000 gastroenterologists, offers the following resources to reporters:
-- Nationally-recognized gastroenterologists who can discuss the symptoms of and risk factors for the disease
-- B-roll and a 30-second public service announcement (PSA) featuring Baltimore Orioles outfielder Eric Davis, who was diagnosed with colon cancer in 1997. On the PSA, Mr. Davis uses his own experience in battling colon cancer to urge Americans to seek screening.
-- Facts and background on the cause, symptoms and treatment of colon cancer
-- Descriptions of the various screening options and the critical importance of screening and early detection
-- Explanation of the new Medicare colon cancer preventive screening benefit proposed by Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) and enacted January 1, 1998
Resources provided by ACG for consumers researching more information include:
-- ACG's toll-free number (800-978-7666) for a free brochure about colon cancer -- ACG's Web site (www.acg.gi.org) to download free information
# # #
RSS