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Screen for Life: National Colorectal Cancer
Action Campaign

• Increases awareness among adults aged 50 or older that of cancers that affect both men and women, colorectal cancer is the second leading cancer killer in the United States.
• Increases awareness of the benefits of being screened for colorectal cancer.
• Helps to motivate patients to talk to their doctor and get screened for colorectal cancer.

You can also go behind the scenes at the filming of the Screen for Life PSAs to hear Mr. Howard's thoughts and reflections on entering the studio and seeing the set for the first time, as well as his personal message to other people about how colorectal cancer has affected him and his message for others.

The ads with Mr. Howard are the latest Screen for Life PSAs created by CDC in partnership with the National Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance (NCCRA), a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation. Katie Couric is co-founder of NCCRA. Other PSAs created by CDC with NCCRA feature Ms. Couric, as well as Jimmy Smits, Diane Keaton, and Morgan Freeman.

Campaign Messages

The Screen for Life: National Colorectal Cancer Action Campaign was launched on March 2, 1999, by then-U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher, M.D. It is based on extensive review of existing communication and behavioral science literature, and formative research and concept testing. Approximately 170 focus groups, including both consumers and health professionals, have been conducted in cities across the country to assess knowledge, behaviors, and screening practices of the target audiences. CDC continues to develop campaign messages and materials based on this research. The central messages of Screen for Life are—

• Of cancers affecting both men and women, colorectal cancer is the second leading cancer killer in the United States.
• Screening saves lives.
• Colorectal cancer often can be prevented. Regular screening can find precancerous polyps so they can be removed before they turn into cancer.
• Screening can find colorectal cancer early, when treatment can be very effective.
• Polyps and colorectal cancer may not cause symptoms, especially at first.
• Both men and women are at risk.
• Many insurance plans, including Medicare, help pay for colorectal cancer screening.

Educational Materials

Screen for Life has created a suite of educational campaign materials in English and Spanish for patients and health professionals. Print materials, including fact sheets, brochures, and posters, can be viewed, printed, and ordered online. Television and radio public service announcements can be viewed and heard online; transcripts are available. For an overview of the Screen for Life campaign, download the Screen for Life backgrounder. (PDF-256KB)

Materiales en español

Partnerships

In addition to its partnership with the Entertainment Industry Foundation and the National Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance, Screen for Life is proud of its partnership with 50 state health departments, two tribal organizations and the District of Columbia, all of which use campaign messages and materials to increase awareness at the community level about the need for colorectal cancer screening for men and women aged 50 years or older.

Please note: Some of these publications are available for download only as *.pdf files. These files require Adobe Acrobat Reader in order to be viewed. Please review the information on downloading and using Acrobat Reader software.