Colorectal Cancer News

How Major Retailers Can Play a Role in the Fight Against Colon Cancer

"Colorectal cancer (CRC), or colon cancer, is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in America," notes Andrew Spiegel, CEO of the Washington-based Colon Cancer Alliance (CCA). "This disease kills more people than breast, prostate, ovarian, kidney, pancreatic, cervical and any other form of cancer, with the exception of smoking-related lung cancer. One hundred-fifty thousand Americans are diagnosed with the disease each year, and 50,000 die annually. One in 19 Americans will develop CRC in their lifetime. That's someone being diagnosed every four minutes, with someone dying every nine minutes."

Colorectal cancer, however, is almost entirely preventable through recommended screening. If major retailers, including grocers and consumer packaged goods companies, helped to spread the message that screening through their national audiences, they could help more people get screened and, in turn, save lives.

"If people saw retailers willing to discuss the importance of screening for this disease, they would be more comfortable having an open dialogue and hopefully decide to get screened. This disease costs our country more than $16 billion to treat and accounts for incredible lost productivity in the workplace. We have a saying at the CCA: 'Don't be embarrassed to death.' It's time for America's retailers to boldly embrace this preventable, yet very deadly, disease."

Setting the example is Dulcolax, a laxative brand made by Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc. Dulcolax has partnered with the CCA for a CRC screening awareness program and is helping to fund screenings for those who can't afford them and putting out information through print media, among other things.

Goldschmidt, Bridget. Part of the Solution: Grocers can play a big part in colon cancer awareness. Progressive Grocer. 2011 March.

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