Portland, OR – April 14, 2016 – American Cancer Society Chief Cancer Control Officer, Dr. Richard Wender is set to keynote the first-ever Oregon Colorectal Cancer Roundtable on Wednesday, April 20 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Multnomah Athletic Club in Portland.
Colorectal cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death in the United States for men and women when combined, but incidence and mortality rates can be reduced with screening. Oregon ranks 22 out of 51 states (including the District of Columbia) for up-to-date colorectal cancer screenings.
“The number of colon cancer cases and deaths has been dropping rapidly for over a decade and now is the right time to accelerate our progress by convening all key stakeholders to rapidly and dramatically increase screening rates to reach our national goal of having 80 percent of eligible individuals up to date with screening by the end of 2018,” said Dr. Wender. “We believe this event will catalyze progress towards reaching the 80 percent goal. The American Cancer Society is honored and thrilled to be able to convene this critically important meeting.”
A collaborative partnership between the American Cancer Society and several partners throughout the state, the Roundtable is dedicated to reducing the incidence of and mortality from colorectal cancer in Oregon through coordinated leadership, strategic planning and advocacy.
The Roundtable will convene key stakeholders including physicians, hospitals, quality improvement organizations, industry groups, and Federally Qualified Health Centers from around the state for open dialogue aimed at improving screening rates. This is the first meeting of its kind to address colorectal cancer through private and public health leaders.
Charged with increasing the use of proven colorectal cancer screening tests among Oregon’s entire population for whom screening is appropriate, the Roundtable has the opportunity to make a greater impact on colorectal cancer through a united effort, promoting the education and awareness of colorectal cancer for patients and providers, reducing barriers to colorectal cancer screening through policy and advocacy and ultimately increasing Oregon colorectal cancer screening rates to 80 percent by 2018.
Dr. Richard Wender is the Chief Cancer Control Officer of the American Cancer Society and Chair of the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable. Interviews are available, contact Gretchen Groves 503-795-3972 or [email protected] to request.
About the American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society is a global grassroots force of more than 2.5 million volunteers saving lives and fighting for every birthday threatened by every cancer in every community. As the largest voluntary health organization, the Society's efforts have contributed to a 20 percent decline in cancer death rates in the U.S. since 1991, and a 50 percent drop in smoking rates. Thanks in part to our progress nearly 14 million Americans who have had cancer and countless more who have avoided it will celebrate more birthdays this year. We're determined to finish the fight against cancer. We're finding cures as the nation’s largest private, not-for-profit investor in cancer research, ensuring people facing cancer have the help they need and continuing the fight for access to quality health care, lifesaving screenings, clean air, and more. For more information, to get help, or to join the fight, call us anytime, day or night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visitcancer.org.
