Newswise — Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center today announced a video contest called "Get Screened" " a creative challenge to movie makers to help shine a spotlight on the importance of colorectal-cancer screening. The contest is part of the Hutchinson Center's ongoing awareness campaign — "Your colon. Your life. Your call." — to increase colon-cancer screening rates and reduce deaths from the disease in Washington state.
Colon cancer is the third most-commonly diagnosed cancer and the second-leading cause of cancer death in the United States. An estimated 49,960 Americans, including 940 Washington state residents, will die of the disease this year, according to the American Cancer Society.
"Most of these deaths could be prevented if the disease were caught early. We're launching this video contest to help increase awareness about the importance of early detection and motivate people to get screened," said Lee Hartwell, Ph.D., president and director of the Hutchinson Center.
The contest is open to movie makers age 18 and older. Film or video submissions must be either 30 seconds or 60 seconds in length and can be in any style or genre, including animation, drama, still art, imagery, comedy or documentary. Entries will be judged on five criteria: originality, creativity, concept, information and overall presentation. All entries are due by Jan. 15, 2009.
The top 15 entries will be posted to YouTube.com in February and the public will be allowed to view each finalist's submission and to post comments. Each finalist will be evaluated by a panel of celebrity judges.
In mid-March five winning entries will be announced: one grand prize ($2,500), two first-runners-up ($1,000) and two second-runners-up ($500). The winning videos and finalists will also be posted on the campaign Web site and be screened at a public event.
The winning videos will incorporate some or all of the following messages:"¢ Getting screened for colon cancer can save your life"¢ The risk of colon cancer increases around age 50"¢ Ask your doctor about the importance of colon-cancer screening"¢ Encourage anyone you know around age 50 to get screened for colon cancer
Screening and early detection are crucial because people with colon cancer may be asymptomatic for many years, and precancerous lesions or polyps may take 10 years to transform from benign to malignant. If routine screening via colonoscopy or flexible sigmoidoscopy detects a precancerous polyp, it can be removed immediately.
For more information about the contest, please visit http://www.endcoloncancernow.org/video/
In addition to the contest rules, the site provides a tool for calculating one's risk for colon cancer and information about the latest recommended screening options and guidelines, among many other life-saving resources.
Editor's note: A high-resolution color campaign logo is available upon request.
At Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, our interdisciplinary teams of world-renowned scientists and humanitarians work together to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer, HIV/AIDS and other diseases. Our researchers, including three Nobel laureates, bring a relentless pursuit and passion for health, knowledge and hope to their work and to the world. For more information, please visit fhcrc.org.
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