To help kick-off Colon Cancer Awareness Month and educate patients about the risks, symptoms, prevention, early detection and treatment options for colorectal cancer, Northwestern Memorial Hospital and the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University will host the first stop on the national tour of the Super Colon, an 8-foot tall, 20-foot long replica of a human colon.

"Having the Super Colon at Northwestern Memorial will allow the community to learn about colon cancer in an interactive way and really drive home the message that the only way to prevent or treat colon cancer is to get screened," says Jeffrey Wayne, MD, a surgical oncologist at Northwestern Memorial and assistant professor at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine.

The Super Colon will be open to the public on March 9 and 10 from 9 a.m. 5 p.m. on the third floor of Northwestern Memorial Hospital, 250 E. Huron.

"Colon cancer is one of the most treatable cancers if caught in its early stages," says Amy Halverson, MD, a colorectal cancer surgeon at Northwestern Memorial and an associate professor at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. "Men and women over the age of 50 should be screened, especially those who have a family history of colon cancer. Women who have a history of endometrial or ovarian cancer have a greater risk of developing colon cancer and should also be screened."

According to the American Cancer Society, more than 60,000 Americans will die this year from colon cancer. In the state of Illinois alone, it is estimated that nearly 7,000 new cases of colorectal cancer will be diagnosed and more than 2,500 will die. Colon cancer screenings lag far behind screenings for other cancers such as breast, cervical and prostate. Colorect
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Contact: Molly Rabinovitz
mrabinov@nmh.org
312-926-9632
Northwestern Memorial Hospital
8-Mar-2005