Rex Healthcare Collaborates with the Colon Cancer Coalition to Support National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
Posted: 02-17-2010 : RALEIGH, N.C.

RALEIGH, N.C. – Rex Healthcare, in partnership with UNC Health Care and the Get Your Rear In Gear Raleigh: Colon Cancer Coalition, will support two events during the month of March to raise awareness of and help prevent colorectal cancer—the Get Your Rear in Gear 5K run/walk on Saturday, March 6, and the Living with Colorectal Cancer & Beyond conference on Saturday, March 27. Proceeds from the Get Your Rear in Gear race will support the conference and a collaborative awareness campaign.

More than 4,000 North Carolinians are diagnosed with colorectal cancer each year. If caught early, 90 percent of colorectal cancer cases are curable. Rex and the Colon Cancer Coalition hope to raise awareness of colorectal cancer screening and prevention in conjunction with the nationally recognized National Colorectal Cancer Awareness month in March.

“Colorectal cancer is the number two cause of cancer death in the United States,” said Rig Patel, M.D., Raleigh Endoscopy Center. “Screening helps to identify several colorectal health issues and is the best way to find cancer early. These events will go a long way toward educating our community about prevention and screening options.”

The Get Your Rear in Gear run/walk event on March 6 is part of the national Colon Cancer Coalition’s Get Your Rear in Gear campaign, which focuses on raising awareness about colorectal cancer, providing support and hope for those who have had their lives affected by colorectal cancer, and encouraging individuals of all ages to get screened. The event takes place at Fred Fletcher Park in Raleigh. Check in will begin at 7:30 a.m. and the run/walk will begin at 9 a.m. The event will also feature a kids Fun Run at 8:30 a.m. For more information and to register, visit getyourrearingear.com.

The Living with Colorectal Cancer & Beyond conference on March 27, which will provide support and information for those whose lives have been touched by colorectal cancer, will feature information on the latest medical advancements, expert presentations and breakout sessions focusing on the physical and psychosocial issues persons face before, during and after treatment for colorectal cancer. It will be held from 8:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. at the Renaissance Raleigh Hotel at North Hills. For more information or to register, call (919) 784-2345.

In addition to hosting these events, Rex will support the Colon Cancer Alliance’s Dress in Blue Day on March 5. Individuals, businesses and community groups are all encouraged to participate to raise awareness about colorectal cancer and the importance of screening by wearing blue on national Dress in Blue Day.

The national standard in colorectal screening is to begin screenings at age 50; however, if colorectal cancer or polyps are found in a blood relative (parent, sibling, child), the recommended age for the first screening is 40. For more information on cancer prevention, download the Rex Cancer Prevention and Detection tool kit here: www.rexhealth.com/documents/toolkit%20web.pdf. Rex also offers a cancer survivor seminar series and Ask the Expert events to share information with those affected by cancer. For more information about Rex, visit rexhealth.com.

About Rex Healthcare
Rex Healthcare, a private not-for-profit system, was founded in 1894. It is a member of UNC Health Care, a not-for-profit integrated health care system, and has more than 4,600 co-workers. Its main Rex Hospital campus in west Raleigh is a 665-bed facility (439 general acute beds and 226 skilled nursing) treating more than 34,000 inpatients each year. Rex offers dedicated centers for cancer, heart and vascular, post-acute rehabilitation and skilled nursing care, same-day surgery, wellness and women's care plus dedicated services for pain management, sleep disorders, diabetes education, emergency services and state-of-the-art wound care.

Rex provides a variety of healthcare services throughout Wake County, with facilities in Apex, Cary, Garner, Knightdale, Wakefield and downtown Raleigh. Rex is the first hospital in the Triangle, and one of only 10 in North Carolina to receive Magnet Recognition, which places Rex nurses among the top five percent in the country. In 2008, Rex was listed as one of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals® by Thomson Reuters Healthcare. Rex also was named one of the top 100 (9th hospital) Best Places to Work in Healthcare by Modern Healthcare magazine in 2009.