Awareness and Screening
Sequoia is proud to partner with the Strides for Life Colon Cancer Foundation, to raise awareness for cancer prevention through early screening and education.
Colorectal cancer is a term used to refer to cancer that starts in the colon or rectum. Colon and rectal cancers begin in the digestive system, also called the GI (gastrointestinal) system.
The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates that there will be approximately 108,070 new cases of colon cancer and 40,740 new cases of rectal cancer in 2008 in the United States. Combined, they will cause approximately 49,960 deaths. Colorectal cancers are the second leading cause of cancer related deaths in the United States.
However, according to the ACS, the death rate from colorectal cancer has been going down for the past 15 years. One reason is that there are fewer cases. Thanks to colorectal cancer screening, polyps can be found and removed before they turn into cancer. And colorectal cancer can also be found earlier when it is easier to cure. Treatments have improved as well.
Learn about colon cancer prevention and screening on the ACS website: Colon Testing Saves Lives.
If you have questions or concerns, please call your primary care physician or gastroenterologist. If you need a physician, please use our Find a Doctor website or call "Choose your Doctor" at (650) 482-6000.
Strides for Life Colon Cancer Foundation
The Strides for Life Colon Cancer Foundation is a non-profit organization founded in 2004. Its mission is the prevention and early detection of colon cancer. The mission is accomplished through a variety of educational programs directed at increasing awareness of colon cancer among both healthcare providers and the general population. Included are programs of public education, wide scale screening efforts and risk-reduction strategies directed toward populations at high risk.
The Strides for Life organization is proud to partner with one of the nation's leading hospitals, Sequoia. While Sequoia provides superior medical care, what impressed Strides for Life the most was the hospital's commitment to prevention and promoting healthy choices for a long and healthy life. Sequoia, a community hospital, has been taking care of Bay Area families for generations. Through this partnership, Strides for Life hopes to establish a new standard in screening and treatment for a disease that is almost always preventable.
The Strides for Life organization is funded entirely through contributions from individuals, corporations, and hopefully, grants from public and private agencies. It is governed by a Board of Directors consisting of people with a variety of experiences and expertise. There are no salaried employees and all efforts and resources are volunteered.
The organization is the outcome of the death of Dylan Cappel. Dylan died of colon cancer at the age of 23 while training for a berth on the 2004 United States Olympic Rowing Team. Dylan was a 1992 graduate of Saint Dunstan School in Millbrae and a 1996 graduate of Serra High School . He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2000 and at the time of his death was the assistant men's varsity rowing coach at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
The organization is dedicated to his memory and committed to decreasing the amount of pain and suffering this terrible disease wreaks on society. To learn more, visit Strides for Life Colon Cancer Foundation.
