Colon Cancer Communication Prize 2014 goes to the “Brandenburg Against Colon Cancer” initiative
18.11.2014 19:23
Berlin, November 14, 2014. The Colon Cancer Communication Prize 2014 was awarded to the 'Brandenburg against Colon Cancer' project as part of the political discussion event "Focus on Oncology". The prize is the result of a joint initiative by the German Cancer Society, the LebensBlicke Foundation and the German Cancer Foundation and is awarded to projects that have made a particular contribution to sustainable education on the subject of colon cancer.
Colon cancer is one of the most common cancers in Germany. If it is discovered at an early stage, the chances of recovery are good. However, intestinal diseases are often a source of shame and the inhibition threshold for visiting a doctor is high. It is therefore important to provide as many people as possible with balanced information about the options for colon cancer prevention and early detection and to remove taboos from the topic.
In order to achieve this goal, the “Brandenburg against colon cancer” initiative has been carrying out highly acclaimed advertising and PR campaigns since 2003 - also using unconventional means: doctor's visits to hardware stores, information about the garden fence, campaigns aimed at football fans or rural women, as well Cooperations with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the municipalities (www.brandenburg-gegen-darmkrebs.de). The State Working Group on Oncological Care (LAGO) Brandenburg e. V. is the sponsor of the campaigns. Other important cooperation partners include the Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Health, Women and Family, State of Brandenburg (MASGF), AOK Nordost - The Health Insurance Fund and the Brandenburg Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians.
“If you don’t go to the doctor for preventative care, we go to them,” explains Prof. Dr. Dieter Nürnberg, one of the two speakers for the initiative. In order to discuss the topic of prevention and coordinate actions, the experts from the certified colon cancer centers in the state of Brandenburg meet once a year. “In the next step, joint meetings with established endoscopy experts and general practitioners are planned; In this way we want to achieve the most complete preventative care possible,” says Prof. Dr. Wilfried Pommerien, also spokesman for the initiative. Among the states in Germany, Brandenburg is now the leader in the number of preventive colonoscopies carried out. The two speakers attribute this success to the continuous implementation of educational campaigns.
“The “Brandenburg against colon cancer” initiative is an excellent example of how you can encourage people to take preventive measures with creative and sustainable approaches,” says Dr. Johannes Bruns, Secretary General of the German Cancer Society. “We are very pleased about the great commitment of everyone who applied for the colorectal cancer communication award this year. We want to promote this commitment by awarding the prize,” adds Prof. Jürgen F. Riemann, Chairman of the LebensBlicke Foundation.
The partners in the Colon Cancer Communication Prize
With more than 7,200 individual members, the German Cancer Society (DKG) is the largest oncology expert network in German-speaking countries. The aim of the DKG's work is to provide comprehensive, quality-assured care and to ensure innovation in modern cancer medicine. The DKG has also set itself the task of verifying the quality of cancer care through certification so that those affected can be sure that they are being treated to the best of our knowledge. www.krebsgesellschaft.de
The LebensBlicke Foundation - early detection of colon cancer - is the first foundation in Germany that has set itself the task of providing the population nationwide with comprehensive information about early detection measures for colon cancer and motivating them to take life-saving prevention. www.lebensblicke.de
The German Cancer Foundation e. V. based in Frankfurt am Main was founded in 2007. It is a pure asset foundation that distributes the income from the foundation's assets in accordance with the statutes for projects of the German Cancer Society, for example for science funding as well as for education, prevention and early detection measures. www.deutsche-krebsstiftung.de