Colon cancer screening gap

For more information, contact George Stamatis, 216-368-3635 or gxs18@po.cwru.edu.

COLON CANCER SCREENING GAP (running time =2:16)

SUGGESTED INTRO: A NEW STUDY HAS FOUND A DANGEROUS GAP IN THE SCREENING OF COLON CANCER AND SUGGESTS MORE DOCTORS SHOULD BE TESTING FOR THE DISEASE. MORE IN THIS REPORT:

VIDEO: CU of Dr. Gregory Cooper's hands operating sigmoidscope controls. Cut to ECU of Dr. Cooper. Cut to shot of scope monitor in procedure room (simulated test). Cut to 2 shot of Cooper and patient. Cut to reverse angle. Cut to ECU of monitor.

VOICEOVER: IT'S A SIMPLE TEST THAT CAN SAVE MANY LIVES, BUT A UNIVERSITY MEDICAL STUDY HAS SHOWN THAT FEWER THAN 10 PERCENT OF ADULTS ARE RECEIVING FLEXIBLE SIGMOIDOSCOPY, A VISUAL TEST FOR DETECTING COLON CANCER. PATIENTS MOST IN NEED OF THE TEST ARE OVER 50 YEARS OF AGE AND THOSE WITH A FAMILY HISTORY OF THE DISEASE, ACCORDING TO DOCTOR GREGORY COOPER, PROFESSOR OF GASTROENTEROLOGY AT CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY.

SOT & SUGGESTED SUPER: Gregory Cooper, M.D., CWRU Professor of Gastroenterology

VIDEO: Cut-aways of scope hand control and monitor.

INTERVIEW: "Colon cancer is the second most common fatal cancer in the United States after lung cancer. Roughly 50 to 60 thousand deaths annually occur in this country, and in addition about 140 thousand new cases of colon cancer develop annually in this country. We now know that sigmoidoscopy with identification of cancers before they're advanced, but more importantly polyps, before they even have a chance to develop into cancer, will save lives and prevent this often fatal disease." (TRT 0:31)

VIDEO: ECU of John Vogel (patient). Cut to CU of sigmoidscope electronic controls.

VOICEOVER: JOHN VOGEL SURVIVED COLON CANCER THANKS TO EARLY DETECTION WITH A SIGMOIDSCOPE. HE SAYS THE PROCEDURE IS EASY AND PAINLESS, AND NO ONE SHOULD HESITATE TO HAVE IT.

SOT & SUGGESTED SUPER: John Vogel, colon cancer patient/survivor

INTERVIEW: "My advice is take it. Have the examination. There's nothing to worry about. It doesn't hurt. Discomfort is very minor, and it certainly is worth it. As I say, I had no symptoms whatsoever, and they found this fellow was malignant." (TRT 0:16)

VIDEO: Cover of publication "Cancer", containing colon cancer screening study. Cut to 2 shot of Dr. Cooper and patient. Cut-away of scope hand controls.

VOICEOVER: DOCTOR COOPER LED A NATIONWIDE STUDY OF ALMOST 900 PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIANS AND FOUND THAT LESS THAN HALF PERFORMED SIGMOIDOSCOPY THEMSELVES OR REFERRED PATIENTS TO ANOTHER PHYSICIAN FOR THE TEST. HE ALSO FOUND THAT FEMALE PHYSICIANS ARE LESS LIKELY TO PERFORM THE PROCEDURE THAN MALE PHYSICIANS.

SOUND BITE: Gregory Cooper, M.D.

VIDEO: Cut-away of patient (John Vogel).

INTERVIEW: "Many physicians are not trained in the procedure. It takes a fair amount of training to become adept at the procedure and they might perceive that as a barrier to not doing it on their patients. The most frequent barrier that was cited, regardless of whether the physician didn't do the procedure at all, referred the patient to another practitioner for the procedure or performed the procedure themselves, was poor patient acceptance." (TRT 0:24)

VIDEO: CU of scope hand control. Cut to ECU of Dr. Cooper. Cut to shot of scope monitor.

VOICEOVER: DOCTOR COOPER HOPES HIS STUDY WILL HELP INCREASE PATIENT ACCEPTANCE OF THE SIGMOIDSCOPE AND ENCOURAGE MORE PHYSICIANS TO USE IT.

THIS IS DAVE NAROSNY REPORTING FROM CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY, CLEVELAND.

-CWRU-