Get Your Rear In Gear 5K to Promote Colon Cancer Awareness and Prevention
Local Center joins StopColonCancerNow.com to educate on the importance of screenings at race
INDIANAPOLIS (June 09 2011) – StopColonCancerNow.com and Northside Gastroenterology Endoscopy Center will join forces with colon cancer survivors, the local medical community and other Central Indiana residents for Get Your Rear In Gear®. A 5K run/walk, Get Your Rear in Gear is meant to raise awareness in the community about the importance of colonoscopy screening.
StopColonCancerNow.com sponsors Get Your Rear in Gear races and other events throughout the country as part of its mission to increase colon cancer screenings and save lives. The Northside Gastroenterology Endoscopy Center is a local partner of StopColonCancerNow.com and will also field a team at the race. On Saturday, June 18, representatives from the center will be on hand throughout the race at the StopColonCancerNow.com tent to provide information and answer questions on colon cancer prevention and screenings.
"Colon cancer is the third deadliest form of cancer in the United States and 80 percent of colon cancer patients have no prior family history, so it’s essential for people over 50 to get screened regularly," said John Kieslich, race director for the Indianapolis Get Your Rear in Gear and colon cancer survivor. "We’re proud to bring Get Your Rear in Gear to Central Indiana and we invite others to join us at the event, which is a great vehicle for educating the public about this disease."
When colon cancer is detected and treated in the earliest stage, the five-year survival rate is 90 percent. Patients are encouraged to get a screening if they are at least 50 years old (45 for African-Americans) or have a family history of colon cancer or polyps. Even though colon cancer is 80 percent preventable with timely screenings, almost half of at-risk Indiana residents are not getting screened. To improve that statistic, representatives from the Northside Gastroenterology Endoscopy Center will be encouraging at risk individuals who have not been screened to schedule their screening at the race.
The Indianapolis Get Your Rear in Gear will be held on Saturday, June 18 at Northview Church, 12900 Hazel Dell Pkwy, Carmel. Registration begins at 7 a.m., followed by a kids fun run at 8 a.m. and the 5K run/walk at 8:30 a.m. Participants are encouraged to register online at www.GetYourRearInGear.com.
About Get Your Rear in Gear
Get Your Rear in Gear® events are presented nationally by the Colon Cancer Coalition, a nonprofit organization based in Minneapolis. The mission of Get Your Rear in Gear events is to ensure that all people have adequate information and access to screening for colon cancer. In 2011, 40 Get Your Rear in Gear races will occur in cities across the country. By making the words colon, colorectal and colonoscopy a part of the everyday language, we believe we can overcome the fear and decrease deaths from this largely preventable cancer. A history of the organization and a list of upcoming and past events can be found at www.GetYourRearInGear.com.
About Northside Gastroenterology Endoscopy Center
Northside Gastroenterology Endoscopy Center is an outpatient surgery center specializing in colon cancer screening and the treatment of gastrointestinal problems. To learn more, visit www.NorthsideGastroCenter.com.
About StopColonCancerNow.com
StopColonCancerNow.com is a community of more than 700 physicians who have joined forces to promote education and awareness about colon cancer screening and prevention. AmSurg, provider of one in every 10 colonoscopies in the United States, launched the campaign in 2009 as part of its commitment to provide the highest level of care and information to people at risk for colon cancer. For more information on colon cancer and the importance of screening, visit StopColonCancerNow.com.
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