ATLANTA, LOS ANGELES and SAN FRANCISCO – Dec. 4, 2017 – Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, the American Cancer Society (ACS), Stand Up To Cancer and Rally Health, today announced a new public health initiative called “Cancer Screen Week” urging every American to join together to make a difference in the fight against cancer by pledging to get their recommended cancer screenings. According to ACS, screening significantly increases the chances of detecting certain cancers early, when they are most likely to be treated successfully. Every pledge increases the potential impact “Cancer Screen Week” can have on saving more lives from cancer. This year, “Cancer Screen Week” will take place December 4-8, 2017, and annually thereafter the first week of December.
Even though about half of all men and a third of all women will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives, the overall cancer death rate has dropped by 25 percent over the past 20 years. Improvements in cancer screening and earlier detection of cancer have contributed to this progress. “Cancer Screen Week” is an annual call to action for everyone to talk to their doctor and get their recommended cancer screenings, many of which may be covered by insurance.
“The American Cancer Society estimates that approximately 600,000 Americans were expected to die from cancer in 2017. Screening can catch many cancers early, when they’re most likely to be treated successfully. In fact, screening can actually prevent some cancers by finding and treating abnormalities that turn into cancer if left alone,” said Richard C. Wender, M.D., chief cancer control officer, The American Cancer Society. “‘Cancer Screen Week’ is a powerful reminder that it is possible to continue reducing cancer’s deadly toll through recommended regular screenings.”
Individuals can visit GetScreenedNow.org to take the pledge to get screened and receive a personalized list of recommended screenings, plus a list of simple actions they can take to help lower their risk for certain types of cancers. People who take the pledge are urged to encourage their family and friends to take the pledge as well. Employers and providers can visit CancerScreenWeek.org to find turnkey, customizable campaign materials they can use to promote cancer screenings among their employee and patient populations.
“We want to encourage people to take the ‘Get Screened Now’ pledge to find out what screenings are recommended for them, and then to talk to their doctor about cancer screening,” said Adam Bernstein, M.D., Sc.D., chief medical officer, Rally Health. “These simple steps might just save their life.”
Governors of Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Texas signed proclamations declaring the first week of December as “Cancer Screen Week” in their states, reinforcing the importance of cancer screening and early detection for their citizens.
“If collectively we can improve the rates for recommended cancer screenings, we have the potential to change the trajectory of cancer,” said Edith Perez, M.D., vice president and head of BioOncology, U.S. Medical Affairs, Genentech. “Awareness and education are important to be the best advocate for yourself and your loved ones.”
“We are proud to help launch ‘Cancer Screen Week’ to educate everyone that screening is the first line of defense in the fight against cancer,” said Stand Up To Cancer president and CEO Sung Poblete, Ph.D., R.N. “Following the screening guidelines will help people identify many cancers as early as possible, which means patients and their doctors will have more time to get the treatments that are best for them. Taking the pledge to get screened is an empowering first step.”
About “Cancer Screen Week”
Founded by Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, the American Cancer Society, Stand Up To Cancer and Rally Health, “Cancer Screen Week” is a public health initiative to increase awareness around the potentially lifesaving benefits of cancer screening. More information is available at CancerScreenWeek.org, including downloadable and customizable resources, such as a fact sheet, poster, pledge card and appointment reminder card, for insurance providers, employers, healthcare providers, advocates, professional organizations and people in the community who are interested in participating.
About American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society is a global grassroots force of nearly 2 million volunteers dedicated to saving lives, celebrating lives, and leading the fight for a world without cancer. From breakthrough research, to free lodging near treatment, a 24/7/365 live helpline, free rides to treatment, and convening powerful activists to create awareness and impact, the Society is the only organization attacking cancer from every angle. For more information go to cancer.org.
About Genetech
Founded more than 40 years ago, Genentech is a leading biotechnology company that discovers, develops, manufactures and commercializes medicines to treat patients with serious or life-threatening medical conditions. The company, a member of the Roche Group, has headquarters in South San Francisco, California. For additional information about the company, please visit gene.com.
About Rally Health
Rally Health, Inc. is a consumer-centric digital health company that makes it easy for individuals to take charge of their health and collaborates with health plans, providers, and employers to engage consumers. The company’s flagship offering is Rally®, a digital health platform that offers a suite of online and mobile solutions that help consumers manage their health and health care needs: Rally EngageSM focuses on personalized health and well-being support; Rally ChoiceSM is a health benefits marketplace; and Rally ConnectSM offers care provider search and cost transparency. More than 30 million consumers have access to the Rally platform through more than 200,000 employers, and payers such as UnitedHealthcare, BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, Health Alliance, and thousands of employer groups. With offices in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Chicago, Minneapolis and Denver, the team behind Rally HealthSM has been working together since 2010 to transform the consumer health industry. For more information, please visit RallyHealth.com.
About Stand Up To Cancer
Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) raises funds to accelerate the pace of research to get new therapies to patients quickly and save lives now. SU2C, a division of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, was established in 2008 by film and media leaders who utilize the industry’s resources to engage the public in supporting a new, collaborative model of cancer research, and to increase awareness about cancer prevention as well as progress being made in the fight against the disease.
Current members of the SU2C Council of Founders and Advisors (CFA) include Katie Couric, Sherry Lansing, Lisa Paulsen, Rusty Robertson, Sue Schwartz, Pamela Oas Williams, Ellen Ziffren, and Kathleen Lobb. The late Laura Ziskin and the late Noreen Fraser are also co-founders. Sung Poblete, Ph.D., R.N., has served as SU2C’s president and CEO since 2011.
For more information on Stand Up To Cancer, visit StandUpToCancer.org.
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Media Contacts:
Genentech, Holli Kolkey, (650) 467-6800, kolkey.holli@gene.com
American Cancer Society, Miriam Falco, miriam.falco@cancer.org
Stand Up To Cancer, Jane Rubinstein, (646) 386-7969, jrubinstein@su2c.org
Rally Health, Darcy Provo, (415) 871-1731, darcy.provo@rallyhealth.com