The landmark event, designed to raise critical funds to help eradicate colorectal cancer, will also feature appearances by NYPD Blue's Dennis Franz and Eric Davis of the St. Louis Cardinals. In March of this year, Aetna began a nationwide print advertising campaign with Katie Couric and Lilly Tartikoff urging people to get tested. This fall, Aetna will once again mount a national print, television and radio campaign featuring celebrities whose lives have been touched by colorectal cancer. Heightening public awareness is key to early detection and cure. It has been the fabric of what we do.
Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States.
Couric lost her husband, Jay Monahan, to the disease in 1998 and has been tireless in her efforts to educate the public about the need for screening and early detection. Public awareness about colorectal cancer and the need for screenings has begun to climb since Katie Couric launched the National Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance and drew attention to the subject, perhaps most notably when she brought colonoscopy into our living rooms with a Today show broadcast last March. A recent survey of more than 1,000 doctors by the American Gastroenterological Association found a surge of patients seeking screening tests since the March kick-off. This year, the program will reach two million adults. Numerous clinical studies have demonstrated that testing for hidden blood in the stool with an FOBT is one of the most effective screening tools available.