BOSTON, May 6, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Targeting commuters on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Red, Orange and Blue "T" lines, the Colon Cancer Coalition is debuting a new public awareness campaign meant to engage people and encourage screening for the nation's No. 2 cancer killer: colon cancer. Funded with money raised at Get Your Rear in Gear – Boston, and matched by a grant from the PVBLIC Foundation, three messages are being presented to Bostonians throughout the month of May.
Created by OBI Creative (Omaha), the campaign addresses the sobering truth that colon cancer can interrupt life as usual. A simple asterisk around important events including Your Wedding, a Son's Graduation, and the birth of the First Grandchild, provides a brief, yet emotionally impactful message that some terms and conditions may apply. Targeted at people of all ages, messaging within the ads warn '*Don't miss it because of colon cancer' and encourages colon cancer screening, as well of awareness of the signs, symptoms and an individual's family history.
"We are excited to unveil this new campaign in Boston," says Anne Carlson, executive director of the Colon Cancer Coalition. "As we work towards the collective goal of 80% colorectal cancer screening by the year 2018 we look forward to bringing this message to other markets across the country."
"I got involved with the Colon Cancer Coalition after my brother-in-law was diagnosed with colon cancer in his 30s," stated Brian Shelly, local event director for Get Your Rear in Gear – Boston. "I hope this campaign will encourage all people, not just those above the screening age of 50, to know the signs and symptoms of the disease and to talk with their families about health history and the importance of screening."
Why screening is important:
- Colon cancer screening through a colonoscopy can detect and remove colon polyps before they become cancer, preventing the disease from occurring.
- There is a 90% 5-year survival rate when colon cancer is caught in early (localized) stages, but only 10% when it is diagnosed in late stages.
- Only 40% of patients nationwide are diagnosed with early stage disease.
- One in 10 patients are diagnosed with colon cancer before the recommended screening age of 50.
- When diagnosed before 50, the disease is most often diagnosed in later stages.
The fifth annual Get You Rear in Gear – Boston will be held Saturday, September 19, at DCR Mother's Rest at Carson Beach in Boston. Registration and more information can be found at ColonCancerCoalition.org/Boston.
To request this campaign come to your community please contact Erin Peterson.
About the Colon Cancer Coalition / Get Your Rear in Gear events
The Colon Cancer Coalition is a non-profit organization based in Minneapolis dedicated to raising awareness and encouraging screening for colon cancer. The organization's signature Get Your Rear in Gear events are 100% volunteer-driven in communities throughout the United States. By making the words colon, colorectal and colonoscopy a part of the everyday language, we believe we can overcome the fear and decrease deaths from this largely preventable cancer. For more information visit ColonCancerCoalition.org.
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