EXPERTS LAUD STRIDES IN SCREENING; CAUTION THAT MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE

January 17, 2007 (Los Angeles, CA). The colon cancer death rate dropped more than that of any other major cancer in 2003 - 2004, according to an American Cancer Society report released today, which noted that "screening reduces mortality both by decreasing incidence and by detecting a higher portion of cancers at early, more treatable stages."

"This encouraging finding is a testament to the unending efforts of Katie Couric and other celebrity spokespersons to raise the awareness of the importance of colon cancer screening as a life-saving intervention," said A. Mark Fendrick, MD, professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan. Fendrick and his colleagues documented the "Katie Couric Effect" -- a 20% increase in the number of colonoscopies performed following the March, 2000 television broadcast of Couric's own colonoscopy screening -- and believe it has been sustained ever since. "We should also acknowledge those forward thinking health insurers who provide coverage for effective preventive care."

Dr. David A. Johnson, the president of the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG), cautions that there is more work to be done. "This data provides encouraging support for the recent increase in efforts to promote colon cancer screening. These gains however, unfortunately may be only short lived unless more policy makers and insurers work to reduce the impediments to access for optimal screening -- in particular for colonoscopy, which we view as the preferred and most effective strategy for colon cancer screening."

Lisa Paulsen, CEO of the Entertainment Industry Foundation, the group with whom Couric co-founded the National Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance after losing her husband Jay Monahan to the disease, said "we believe there is a direct connection between the NCCRA's public education programs and the decrease in colon cancer deaths that occurred in 2004. We have to keep a steady drumbeat of attention on the fact that screening for colorectal cancer saves lives." Paulsen noted that nearly 41 million Americans who are 50 or older and should be tested for colorectal cancer have not been screened appropriately.

The NCCRA partners with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on its Screen for Life: National Colorectal Cancer Action Campaign. In a series of print and broadcast public service announcements, Morgan Freeman and Diane Keaton, as well as Couric, encourage everyone 50 and older to get screened.

The NCCRA also funds cutting-edge research being conducted by nine acclaimed scientists at institutions around the country. As a philanthropic leader of the entertainment industry, the Entertainment Industry Foundation has distributed hundreds of millions of dollars - and provided countless volunteer hours - to support charitable initiatives addressing some of the most critical issues facing society today. (www.eif.org)

CONTACT:
- Kara Gavin, University of Michigan 734/764-2220
- Anne Louise Oliphant, American College of Gastroenterology 301/263-9000
- Judi Ketcik, Entertainment Industry Foundation 213/240-3920