On 13 March 2013 Boston Scientific announced it is supporting several public education initiatives throughout March to highlight the prevalence and prevention of cancers of the colon and rectum as part of Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.
According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 150,000 people in the USA will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2013, and about a third of those will die from the disease. Early detection is a proven way to improve survival rates as treatment is most effective when colorectal cancer is found early. The American Cancer Society recommended all people age 50 and older get screened for colorectal cancer, but only a fraction of this population do. It is estimated that regular screenings could save as many as 30,000 lives each year.
According to Boston Scientific it is supporting this through the following activities.
- 1–7 March: Boston Scientific supported Fight Colorectal Cancer (FCC) through a charitable donation to its “One Million Strong” campaign. The donation funded a 30-second public service announcement that was shown on the NASDAQ MarketSite Tower electronic billboard in Times Square in New York. The public service announcement highlighted colorectal cancer and the importance of early detection. It ran every hour for a week.
- On 2 March: a group of five physicians from the Dallas Endoscopy Center screened high-risk colorectal cancer patients who would have otherwise not had access to these screenings due to a lack of medical insurance. Boston Scientific provided a charitable donation through a grant for this event.
- On 9 March: colorectal cancer is especially prevalent among African-American males over the age of 50. Boston Scientific highlighted the prevalence and prevention of cancers of the colon and rectum at its booth at the health and wellness pavilion at the Black Expo in Charleston, South Carolina, USA.
- Throughout March, Boston Scientific employees are raising awareness of colorectal cancer and collecting donations for the Colon Cancer Alliance (CCA) by selling colorectal cancer awareness pins at its Natick and Marlborough, USA, locations. The proceeds will be donated to the CCA to support its screening mission and its patient and research programmes.
