March, 2007

Too few cancer doctors to meet growing demand by 2020

As the need for oncologists and other cancer health professionals grows, there may be too few to meet the demand. A workforce study commissioned by the American Society of Clinical Oncology projects a significant shortage of oncologists and gynecological oncologists by 2020.

While the US population is growing and aging, the oncology workforce is growing more slowly. Given the numbers of doctors expected to enter the field and those retiring, the total number of oncologists in 2020 is projected to be 12,500 — an acute shortfall of 2,550 to 4,080.

Between now and 2020, the demand for oncology services is expected to rise by 48% given a larger population and more adults over 65, who are more likely to need cancer care. At the same time, the supply of oncologists will increase by 20% and the capacity for oncology visits to increase even less at 14%.

In addition to the ASCO-commissioned study carried out by the Association of American Medical Colleges Center for Workforce Studies, another analysis by Richard Cooper MD at the University of Pennsylvania based on economic trends found similar shortages. Cooper’s study concluded:

This analysis, which is based on economic and demographic trends, projects a 36% deficit in the number of medical oncologists relative to the demand for care in 2020.

As well as more cancer patients, there are a growing number of cancer survivors who also need care. In 1971 there were 3 million cancer survivors in the United States. By 2001, the number of survivors had more than tripled to 10 million.

Michael Goldstein MD, chair of the ASCO Workforce in Oncology Task Force noted that this is not just a problem of medical oncologists,

It is very important that the results of the study are looked at not as a problem only for medical oncology. It really presents a challenge for the whole cancer care delivery system, including nurses, surgeons, radiation oncologists, pharmacists, and anyone who participates in the care of patients with cancer.

The full report Forecasting the Supply of and Demand for Oncologists is available online.

Posted by Kate Murphy on March 15th, 2007
Posted in: Research & Treatment News | No Comments »

CBS News to feature Conquering Colon Cancer segments

Katie Couric, CBS Evening News anchor, will feature segments on colorectal cancer on March 14 and 15 on the CBS Evening News.

Conquering Colon Cancer
CBS News with Katie Couric
Wednesday, March 14 and Thursday March 15
6:30 (Eastern)

Ms. Couric will also appear on The Early Show on March 14 to discuss the programs. After her husband’s death from colon cancer, Katie Couric has become a leader in raising awareness of colorectal cancer and its prevention. Her on-air colonoscopy has encouraged many people to be screened.

The segments can be viewed on the CBS Evening News website.

Technorati tags: Katie Couric, colorectal cancer awareness

Posted by Kate Murphy on March 14th, 2007
Posted in: Research & Treatment News | No Comments »

Team ‘Drilling In’ During March to Increase CRC Awareness

Suzanne Lindley, colon cancer survivor and C3 advocate sent me a photo of her daughter’s drill team. As you can see this group performs on horseback which is to be expected as we are talking about Texans. No ten-gallon hats this time. Instead the cowgirls proudly wear colorectal cancer bracelets on their upraised arms. Here is what Suzanne wrote about the team’s plans for this month.

The Ghostriders Equestrian Drill Team of Canton, Texas is “drilling in” during March which is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. They want to let people know this disease is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States even though it is preventable, treatable, and beatable.

The team kicked of the month at their annual Drillmasters Clinic where they wore Blue Star Buddy Bracelets provided by C3. They plan additional activities at which they will distribute bracelets as well as Caring Star Pins to bring attention to colon and rectal cancer.

Ride’um cowgirls!

Technorati tags: Ghostriders Equestrian Drill Team, Blue Star Buddy Bracelets, Caring Star Pins, horses, Texas

Posted by Dusty Weaver on March 12th, 2007
Posted in: Policy & Advocacy News | No Comments »

Ringing the Opening Bell: The Inside Story

Five months ago, one of our volunteers, Rob Michelson, suggested that C3: Colorectal Cancer Coalition send a request to the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) to ring the Opening Bell during the month of March, which is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Rob works for the NYSE.

We sent off the letter but said to ourselves, “No way that’s going to happen” (we consider ourselves realists, not pessimists). But with Rob’s tenacity and hope – the same stuff that is getting him through his colorectal cancer fight – we managed to get a last minute invitation late on Friday, March 2^nd, to ring the opening bell last Monday, March 5^th.

We leapt at the chance. What follows is what happens when a neophyte advocacy group like ours gets the chance of a lifetime.

3:00 PM, the day before
I am on the train up to New York from Washington, DC. I am so excited that I want to tell all my fellow travelers that I am going up to ring the Opening Bell of the New York Stock Exchange. But I don’t.

8:50 PM, the night before
Our public relations folks have been working the financial media all day today, trying to get them to simply mention C3 and/or Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month as the bell rings in the morning. The push will continue starting at 7 AM Monday. As a former PR person, I have realistic expectations that our chances are slim that we will get our wish. But as the Eternal Optimist, I also have talking points for a 60-second live television interview.

9:05 PM, the night before
I learn that there is a back-up bell in case something goes wrong at the podium. I start wondering if it would hurt or help the organization if I were to do something completely nuts up there. Not a bad-nuts, just a get-us-on-the-evening-news-nuts.

7:00 AM
The morning news is reporting that Asian markets dropped overnight, indicating that the US market will open low. I wonder if this will hurt or help our chances of getting a mention at the bell ringing.

8:35 AM
We are on our way! “Wall and Broad” I say to the cab driver in as bored a voice as possible as if it’s just another Monday morning.

8:45 AM
We make our way through security. Eugene with the NYSE welcomes us and escorts us to our holding room.

When we arrive at the holding room, a group of NYSE staff are waiting for us, including the NYSE photographer. We chat. I give them colorectal cancer Blue Star of Hope pins to wear on their lapels. Everyone is extremely friendly. They are thanking us as if we’ve done them a favor.

The holding room reminds me of the United States Capitol. Ornate walls and columns, painted with gold accents. Thirty-foot high ceilings. The holding room opens into the Board Room, and we go in to look around. There is a clock from the original stock exchange that is 140 years old and a Faberge urn given to the NYSE by Czar Nicholas II.

There are three flat screen televisions on one wall of the Board Room. The center TV has a shot of the podium with the C3 logo above it. My stomach gets butterflies.

The photographer takes a picture of us in the room. I say a silent prayer to the Gods of Nothing in My Teeth.

9:20 AM
Presents! We are each given a gold medallion to commemorate our day. It is heavy and inscribed with a picture of a bull goring what looks to be a goat. I wonder if I’d paid better attention in Econ I’d understand what the heck that means. Below the picture it says, “C3: Colorectal Cancer Coalition Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month Opening Bell Ceremony March 5, 2007.” Might be the coolest thing I’ve ever been given in my life.

9:25 AM
Time to move! We leave the holding room and walk down a short hallway into an elevator, down some stairs and suddenly, I’m on the podium, looking onto the exchange floor, about 15 feet down. It’s not the bustle of activity that I was picturing. There are pockets of people standing on the floor looking up at us. I wave maniacally at them. At stations of computers directly below us, there are others who are completely unaware of our presence. They look concerned. I can’t see what is happening on the rest of the floor, as the view is blocked by the computer stations.

I scan the room for Maria Bartiromo.

Immediately in front of us, about 10 feet away, is a bank of cameras and a large LCD clock. We are instructed to always look at the cameras and not at the folks on the floor.

There are several of us on the podium: the NYSE employees who greeted us in the holding room and three people from C3.

C3 is represented by Rob Michelson, our volunteer who was the driving force behind this. Rob’s a great guy. He has stage IV colorectal cancer. He has had part of his lung removed because his cancer had metastasized there. He’s 40 years old; the father of three.

Officially, the NYSE wanted me to ring the bell, since I’m the head of the organization. But I’m here because I was fortunate enough to have C3 choose me to be its Executive Director. Rob’s here because he’s fighting for his life. We have switched places so that he can be the one who pushes the button.

Standing to my left is Kate Murphy, C3’s Director of Research Communications. Kate’s a legend in the colorectal cancer community. She was diagnosed 23 years ago with stage III colorectal cancer and is a repository of information on the latest in research and treatment for colorectal cancer – which is why she writes C3’s Research News blog. She hasn’t stopped smiling since we arrived and now it looks like she might swoon with excitement.

9:29 AM
The clock in front of us starts to flash. This is our cue to get ready. At 9:29:30, we start clapping. At 9:29:50, Rob pushes the button for ten seconds. The bell is located behind Kate. It is loud.

This is one of the most exhilarating moments of my life.

I promised my husband that I would cough into my hand as a way of giving a shout-out to him on national television. I don’t want to forget to do that. Hilary Swank forgot to thank Chad Lowe when she won her Oscar – and look where that got them.

9:30 AM
Rob’s face as he presses the button is priceless. He could light the earth with that smile. I am moved to tears.

For C3, today’s opportunity was a real gift. In just two days, our web site traffic has increased by 75% percent and we have received attention from all over the country because of it. And we did get mentioned on CNBC and the announcer said that Colorectal Cancer Coalition was ringing the bell in honor of colon cancer awareness month! Time will clearly tell us the effect that it had, but I felt the shift when I was up there on that podium.

Most significant is the impact this will have on the colorectal cancer community. Colorectal cancer patients and caregivers are regularly frustrated by the lack of attention that is given to this disease and they sometimes feel that the world does not recognize how scary, awful, painful and heartbreaking it can be. Today, we stood on the podium, rang the Opening Bell of the NYSE and said to the hundreds of thousands of Americans living with this colorectal cancer, “You matter. We are fighting for you.” It was an honor and a privilege for us all to do that.

Posted by Carlea Bauman on March 12th, 2007
Posted in: Policy & Advocacy News | 7 Comments »

Seattle and King County wear blue to raise colorectal cancer awareness

March 8th was Dress in Blue Day in Seattle and King County, Washington. King County Executive Ron Sims, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels joined colorectal cancer survivors and community leaders to raise awareness of colorectal cancer, increase screening, and reduce colon and rectal cancer deaths.

Dress in Blue Day was the brainchild of stage IV colon cancer survivor Anita Mitchell in honor of her friend Carmen Mitchell who died of the disease. After surgical and chemotherapy treatment, Anita is now without any sign of cancer. Her video story is available on Health Talk along with a tribute to Carmen.