WEDNESDAY, March 30, 2005 (HealthDay News) -- Happy Birthday! And by the way, it's time to get screened for colon cancer.
That friendly reminder -- in the form of an electronic greeting card for Americans aged 50 and over -- is the latest innovation in preventive care from the American Cancer Society.
"We're hoping that people will take a moment to show they care by sending family, friends and loved ones an e-card that could possibly save a life," Dr. Stephen F. Sener, national volunteer president of the American Cancer Society, said in a prepared statement. "That's better than a birthday card and the best 'thinking of you' a person could send."
To send the e-card -- available at http://www.cancer.org/coloncard -- a sender simply types in the e-mail address of the person meant to receive the reminder. People can create their own special messages or select a standard reminder: "Get an annual physical and once you reach age 50, ask your doctor about special tests for colon cancer."
The e-card was developed as part of Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month in March.
Colon cancer has a 90 percent survival rate when it's detected at an early stage. However, the Cancer Society notes that less than half of Americans over age 50 have been screened recently for the disease.
"It's becoming clear that people age 50 and older just do not see themselves as being at risk for colon cancer and needing to be tested," Sener said. "If we can increase awareness and compliance to the level we've done with the Pap test and the mammogram, we will have a tremendous opportunity to save thousands of lives through prevention and early detection."
More information
The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more about colon cancer.
