Stand Up To Cancer, American Cancer Society, Genentech And Rally Health Aim to Increase Earlier Cancer Detection Through Annual “Cancer Screen Week” Initiative

@SU2C, @AmericanCancer, @Genentech and @Rally_Health aim to increase earlier cancer detection through annual “Cancer Screen Week” initiative  Tweet

Los Angeles, CA – December 5, 2018 – Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C), in partnership with the American Cancer Society (ACS), Genentech, a member of the Roche Group and Rally Health, is urging every American to join together to make a difference in the fight against cancer by pledging to get their recommended cancer screenings, through the second annual “Cancer Screen Week,” taking place December 3-7, 2018. According to the American Cancer Society, almost 610,000 people are expected to die from cancer in 2018. Cancer screening increases the chances of catching certain cancers early, when they are most likely to be treated successfully. Every pledge increases the potential impact “Cancer Screen Week” can have on saving more lives from cancer.

SU2C also shared a star-studded video highlighting the initiative and encouraging people to learn more. The video features SU2C Ambassadors Maria Menounos, Marg Helgenberger, Jillian Michaels, Teni Panosian, Italia Ricci, Sonequa Martin-Green and Adam Klein.

Even though 1 in 3 Americans will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives, the overall cancer death rate has dropped by 26 percent between 1991-2015. Improvements in cancer screening and earlier detection of cancer have contributed to this progress. “Cancer Screen Week” is an annual call to action for everyone to talk to their doctor about the best cancer screening plan for them.

Visit www.CancerScreenWeek.org to find out which cancer screening tests may be right for you, and pledge to make an appointment. There are also easy-to-use resources to help you raise awareness and encourage others to learn more about which screening tests may be right for them.

Did you know?

• Screening in current or former smokers who are 55-74 years old and have at least a 30-pack year smoking history has been shown to reduce mortality from lung cancer.
• Only 39% of colorectal cancer cases are diagnosed at the local stage, for which the 5-year survival is 90%.
• About 62% of breast cancer cases are diagnosed at the local stage, when the 5-year survival rate is 99%.
• Despite the longstanding ability to detect cervical cancer early through screening, less than half (46%) of all cervical cancer cases are diagnosed at the local stage, when the 5-year survival rate is 92%.
• The American Cancer Society does not have guidelines for the early detection of skin cancer. However, knowing your own skin is important to finding skin cancer early.