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WE CAN! March events bring awareness to colon cancer

March 1, 2010

The statistics are startling: Today in South Carolina, two people will die from colon cancer. Six people will learn that they have the disease.

What many people don’t know is that colon cancer is preventable, treatable, and beatable, said Dr. Heather Brandt, an Arnold School of Public Health researcher.

“Far too many South Carolinians do not participate in colon cancer screening as recommended because of a lack of awareness, knowledge, and limited access to screening services,” she said. “During March, Colon Cancer Awareness Month, events are planned statewide to raise awareness about screening, early detection and treatment so that we can reduce the number of people in our state who develop and die from colon cancer .”

The WE CAN! (Wellness, Education, Community Awareness, and Navigation) Colon Cancer Program, funded by The Duke Endowment, began in 2008 to address the high rates of colon cancer and low rates of colon cancer screening in the Palmetto State, said Brandt, the WE CAN! principal investigator.

“The goal of the WE CAN! Colon Cancer program is to increase awareness of and participation in colon cancer screening among men and women aged 50 and older – and African Americans aged 45 and older -- in Richland and Lexington counties, “she said.

The program includes free colon cancer awareness and educational programs suitable for health fairs and community events, free information on screenings, and free help getting screened for colon cancer through community navigation.
“To date, 1,400 South Carolinians have heard the WE CAN! message, ”Brandt said. “WE CAN! make a difference by learning more about colon cancer, encouraging family and friends to get screened, spreading the word about colon cancer screening and the WE CAN! program, and talking with a health care provider about getting screened.”
Thirteen billboards have been posted in Richland and Lexington counties to bring visibility to the WE CAN! program and colon cancer. At USC, the WE CAN! program is a partner with Healthy Carolina/Campus Wellness to support education efforts for students, faculty and staff, Brandt said.

The WE CAN! Colon Cancer Program is supporting and participating in the following events during Colon Cancer Awareness Month.

• Dress in Blue Day, Friday, March 5: Wear blue to promote awareness about colon cancer and encourage people to talk about colon cancer and get screened.
  
• Unmasking Colon Cancer Ball, Saturday, March 6: The S.C. Aquarium in Charleston is the site of the fourth annual gala and fundraiser that promotes awareness of colon cancer and the importance of screening. Tickets are required for this event.
  
• Colorectal Cancer Walk, Saturday, March 13: The 10th annual Colorectal Cancer Awareness Walk will be held at Riverfront Park in Columbia. Registration is free and can be made in advance by calling (803) 296-2273, logging on to palmettohealth.org, or beginning at 9 a.m. at the walk.
• Colon Cancer Challenge Bike Ride, Saturday, March 20: This one-day event at Dutch Fork High School in Irmo will feature family fun rides, along with challenges for serious cyclists, to support local colon cancer screening. Registration is required.
  
• Alpha Kappa Alpha event, Saturday, March 27: Details will be available soon about an event at the Public Health Research Center that is supported by the AKAs and WE CAN! Program.
  For more information about the WE CAN! Colon Cancer Program, contact Anna Ehrhardt at 803-777-4250 or email at wecanbeatcoloncancer@gmail.com.

WE CAN! investigators include Dr. Swann Arp Adams, Dr. Lucy Annang, and Dr. Suzanne Swan. Program staff are Tina Marie Devlin, MPH; Annette Cook, MPH; Michelle Williams, MPH, PhD student; Lauren Workman, MPH, PhD student; and Anna Ehrhardt.