Screen for Life: National Colorectal Cancer Action Campaign

CDC's multiyear Screen for Life: National Colorectal Cancer Action Campaign informs men and women aged 50 years or older about the importance of having regular colorectal cancer screening tests. Screening tests can find precancerous polyps so they can be removed before they have a chance to turn into cancer, thus preventing the disease. However, an estimated 40% of adults aged 50 or older—the age group at greatest risk of developing colorectal cancer—have not been screened appropriately.

To increase screening rates, Screen for Life—

• 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.

Screen for Life Celebrities

Golden Globe^® and Academy Award^®-nominated actor and musician Terrence Howard joined Screen for Life to urge Americans to be screened for colorectal cancer. Mr. Howard has a personal connection to the disease. In print, television, and radio public service announcements, he talks movingly about losing his mother to colon cancer, saying, "Let my heartbreak be your wake-up call."

You can embed the Terrence Howard television PSAs on your own blog or personal Web site. To do that, please visit the CDC Streaming Health YouTube Channel by copying and pasting http://www.youtube.com/cdcstreaminghealth into your browser.

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.

In the television and radio PSAs featuring Emmy^® Award winner Jimmy Smits, the actor encourages men and women aged 50 years or older to be screened for colorectal cancer. These PSAs are available in both English and Spanish. Mr. Smits explains why screening for colorectal cancer is important, and how getting screened can help prevent the disease. He says, "I've been screened. Now it's your turn."

Academy Award^®-winning actress Diane Keaton goes on camera for Screen for Life to talk about her "Grammy Keaton," who died of colon cancer. She speaks poignantly about her grandmother, as well as her own commitment to do everything in her power to remain healthy. Flashing her trademark smile, she says, "Just get screened. If I can do it, you can do it. How's that for a deal?"

And in posters and print ads, Katie Couric asks, "Are you the picture of health?" She says, "Colorectal cancer is the second leading cancer killer. But it doesn't have to be." She says that if you are 50 or older, make sure you are the picture of health by getting screened for colorectal cancer.

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-180KB).

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.

Campaign Research

• Cooper CP, Gelb CA, Jameson H, Macario E, Jorgensen CM, Seeff L. Developing English and Spanish television public service announcements to promote colorectal cancer screening. Health Promotion Practice 2005;6(4):385–393.
• Cooper CP, Williams KN, Carey KA, Fowler CS, Frank M, Gelb CA. Advertising campaign on a major Internet search engine to promote colorectal cancer screening. British Medical Journal 2004;328(7449):1179–1180.
• Jorgensen C, Gelb CA, Richards TB, Cooper CP. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Donated television airplay of colorectal cancer education public service announcements—United States, 1999–2002. MMWR 2003;52(10):196–199.
• Jorgensen C, Gelb C, Merritt T, Seeff L. CDC's Screen for Life: A national colorectal cancer action campaign. Journal of Women's Health and Gender-Based Medicine 2001;10(5):417–422.