Video and action guidelines for corporate colon cancer prevention published

27.03.2015 16:07

The Felix Burda Foundation, the Network against Colorectal Cancer eV and the LebensBlicke Foundation are publishing the third edition of the joint action guide for company colorectal cancer prevention as well as a new video in which testimonials talk about the importance of company colorectal cancer prevention.

In the new video In this guide, four testimonials from Allianz, BMW, E.ON and Telekom explain why company colon cancer screening is worthwhile for companies of all sizes.

Every year around 62,000 people in Germany are newly diagnosed with colon cancer. “That’s as many as live in a medium-sized small town,” emphasizes Joachim Wolf, CEO of E.ON BKK. This is completely unnecessary because “colon cancer is curable if it is detected early enough,” says Wolf.

This early detection is only possible for colon cancer, as its precursors regularly bleed and can be detected using a stool blood test. “This is the basis of corporate colon cancer prevention,” says Dr. Daniel Mauss, Chief Company Physician at Allianz Deutschland AG.

German companies incur annual costs of around 129 billion euros due to illness, according to the study “Advantage Precaution – the role of company health care for the future viability of Germany as a business location” (Booz & Company, 2011). In this context, company colon cancer screening offers an attractive return on investment of up to 1:5. “It always pays off!” says Joachim Wolf, “from a business perspective, but also from a human perspective.”

For Dr. According to Anne-Katrin Krempien, Chief Medical Officer at Deutsche Telekom AG, colon cancer prevention is a central component of company health management: “We find that it increases employee satisfaction because they notice that we really care about their health and well-being.”

However, many medium-sized companies do not have their own company doctor who can implement such a health campaign. Therefore, company-based colon cancer prevention has so far been largely ignored by German medium-sized businesses. The now completely revised 3rd edition of the guide is intended to convince small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in particular of the economic benefits of such an action. Because, as Norbert Haberl, board member of BMW BKK, confirms: “A colon cancer campaign can be carried out in the company at any time, regardless of the size of the company.”

The free “Guide to action on company colon cancer prevention – opportunities for companies and employees” is aimed at company doctors, human resources managers and managing directors and explains the planning and implementation of a profitable screening campaign step by step. “This makes any company-based colon cancer screening a success, you just have to do it!” appeals Mauss.

Free download of the action guide