Media Alert: Young colon cancer survivors available for interviews during March’s colon cancer awareness

February 2, 2013
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Feb. 14, 2013 – March is colon cancer awareness month – a time when stories featuring “butts and guts” become appropriate for the nightly newscast. The Colon Club has a database of young colorectal cancer survivors from across the U.S. available for interviews and willing to share their stories. To set up an interview with a nearby colon cancer survivor, please email Danielle@semicoloncomm.com or call (816) 729-7760.

Why feature colon cancer in young adults?

Traditionally, colon cancer is seen as an “old person” disease. Screening is recommended starting at age 50, or age 45 for African Americans. Although occurrence rates of colon cancer are down, studies are showing that incidence among young adult patients is on the rise. (See article by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and statistics by The Colon Cancer Alliance.) Featuring a young colorectal cancer survivor’s story can:
  • Shock audiences – the survivors do not LOOK like typical colorectal cancer patients.
  • Draw attention – young survivors often have large groups of supporters that share stories featuring them through traditional and social outlets.
  • Hit home the message – individuals understand the importance of screening and detection through young survivor stories (if it happened to them, it can happen to me.)
To locate a nearby survivor who can provide comment for a March colon cancer awareness piece, please contact Danielle Ripley-Burgess at (816) 729-7760.

About the Colon Club

The Colon Club is a New York State nonprofit founded in 2003 by two women impacted by colon cancer before age 30. The Colon Club serves to educate as many people as possible, as early as possible, about colorectal cancer in interesting and out-of-the-box ways and to encourage people to be screened when it’s appropriate for them. The Colon Club is the manager of The Colossal Colon (ColossalColon.com) and producer of The Colondar, a yearly calendar featuring men and women diagnosed with colorectal cancer under age 50. (Colondar.com) Please visit ColonClub.com for more information.

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