Won’t you help make our dream of a world free from colorectal cancer come true in 2012.

• Raise awareness that screening prevents colorectal cancer. Make sure you, your family, and your friends are screened for colorectal cancer as soon you reach 50 — earlier if you are at higher risk.
• Tell your friends living with colon or rectal cancer that they can call the Answer Line with their questions and concerns.
• Join us for supportive discussions in the Fight Colorectal Support Community and let others know they’ll find help there.
• Come to Call on Congress and make sure that programs and funding for colorectal cancer prevention and research are strong and growing.
• Finally, do one last, very important thing in 2011 – Make a gift to Fight Colorectal Cancer and ensure that our programs and research grants continue in 2012 and until we end suffering and death from colon and rectal cancer.

Have a great New Year — and get behind the cure.

You can watch a recording of the webinar on our website, along with all of our past patient webinars.

Webinar: What to Do When Your Doc is Out of 5-FU from Fight Colorectal Cancer on Vimeo.

The Coach app allows patients and caregivers to walk through the My Colon Cancer Coach tool on their smartphones to access information about their personalized cancer treatment options. The app also includes note-taking and audio-recording functions, a list of questions to ask the doctor, a calendar, a glossary of terms and links to additional resources.

My Colon Cancer Coach is a unique, interactive website that helps patients better understand their diagnosis and treatment options. Based on answers that patients provide regarding their diagnosis, patients receive a guide which gives them information about treatment options specific to them. The goal of the Coach program is to empower patients with individualized information to facilitate more meaningful discussions between them and their doctors.

To access the free app, search “Cancer Coach” in the Android marketplace or iTunes store, or go to www.mycoloncancercoach.org.

The report of experts was gathered by Philanthropedia (at GuideStar), a nonprofit organization working to help donors make smarter donations by connecting them with some of the highest impact nonprofits in a cause. They are different from other online rating sites or donation sites because they use experts to identify high-impact nonprofits.

Here is a sample of what the experts said about us:

“In the 6 years since Fight Colorectal Cancer was founded, they have had an impact in areas where nothing had been done before.”

“They are able to impact federal funding for colorectal cancer and have succeeded in seeing legislation introduced and funding increased.”

“This organization is far better than most at blending compassionate assistance to individual patients and family members with a sophisticated technical understanding of the disease, treatment options, and technically complex policy issues.”

“Fight Colorectal Cancer was responsible for securing millions of dollars for new research through their work on Capitol Hill. They were instrumental in getting colorectal cancer screenings included in health care reform. Currently they are leading the way in keeping patients informed about cancer drug shortages. They also directly fund research. In the six years of their existence, they have provided four research grants totaling $150,000.”

When it came to areas where the organization could improve, the experts agreed:

“The group has limited staff capacity. It would benefit from a stronger bullpen.”

“They have ambitious goals which need additional capacity to be met.”

“It could improve capacity to do more work.”

Read more about what the experts had to say about Fight Colorectal Cancer.

“I could not agree more with the experts – both in their comments on our strengths and on areas where we could improve,” states Carlea Bauman, president of Fight Colorectal Cancer. “We are a small but mighty organization – but just imagine what we could do with more funding and more staff.”

“I would like to thank Philantropedia, Guide Star and all the experts who recommended our work,” continued Bauman. “It is extremely gratifying to Fight CRC’s board, staff and volunteers to have our efforts recognized by our peers.”

To help Fight Colorectal Cancer increase its capacity to achieve even more, make a donation today.

So when we invite members of our community to check out the community at the website Inspire.com, we do so because we believe you’ll find something useful and meaningful there.

Get your questions answered. Find a supportive group of new friends. Laugh with others who know exactly what you’re going through. Compare side effects and learn how others cope with them. Follow posts by Fight Colorectal Cancer’s Kate Murphy and stay up to date on the latest information about your specific health concerns.

The initial survey at registration will tell Inspire exactly what information you are interested in receiving and only links to posts pertaining to those subjects will be sent to your email at least several times a week. You won’t have to wade through a lot of material that is not applicable to you. It’s focused, it’s personalized and it’s up to date.

Check it out at www.inspire.com. You just might find it, well, inspiring!

The details:

What: Inspire is a safe, privacy-protected place where you can connect with people who share your health concerns, obtain support and find information about colorectal cancer.

Why: It can be a huge benefit – and relief – to meet and talk with people who know what you’re going through. You will receive help and, just as likely, you will be helping others at the same time. And the informational posts make staying up to date so much easier. When you find questions and topics that seem pertinent, you can ask your medical team questions that are informed and focused.

How: Joining Inspire is completely free, and you can control what you share with extensive privacy settings. You will have access to the Colorectal Cancer Community as well as other communities focused on other illnesses. Get started!

Join Fight Colorectal Cancer March 5 – 7, 2012 in Washington, DC

Registration is now open!

Led by David Pugach of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, the audience learned about the current state of cancer research funding and its outlook based on the budget crunch that Congress is facing.

You can listen and watch a recording of the webinar below. If you have questions about any of the issues discussed, feel free to email Fight Colorectal Cancer at advocacy@FightCRC.org.

After you’ve watched the webinar, be sure to write to your Members of Congress in support of cancer research funding.

Webinar – Couch Potato Advocacy: 3 Things You Can Do At Home from Fight Colorectal Cancer on Vimeo.

The Fight CRC Answer Line (1-877-427-2111) has fielded over 100 calls from patients who were told they could not receive leucovorin due to a manufacturing shortage in the United States. Many patients, worried and confused, have had trouble determining their options if faced with this issue.

The FAQ addresses issues such as “What choices do I have if my doctor doesn’t have leucovorin?” and “Why is there a leucovorin shortage?”. It also directs patients to the Fight CRC online action center, where they can weigh in on the issue with their Members of Congress.

View and download the FAQ.

Members of the 2011-2012 Committee include:

Doug Sharp, Chair
A resident of Prairie Village, Kansas, Mr. Sharp is the chairman of the Tom O’Sullivan Memorial Golf Classic. Mr. Sharp got involved in advocacy to honor his good friend, Dr. Tom O’Sullivan who passed away from colorectal cancer in June 2007. After losing his friend to this terrible disease, Mr. Sharp worked with Tom’s family to start a benefit tournament to raise money to help in the fight for a cure.

Rose Hausmann
Five years ago Ms. Hausmann was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer. After her diagnosis and over the course of the past five years, she have had multiple surgeries and numerous rounds of chemotherapy. After a recurrence in 2009, she found Fight Colorectal Cancer’s website and Answer Line. Since first connecting with the organization, Ms. Hausmann has been a tireless advocate attending Fight Colorectal Cancer’s annual lobby day in DC as well as founding a softball tournament in her home state of New Jersey to help raise money to fund the fight for a cure.

Elaine Newcomb
Ms. Newcomb is a 68 year old wife, mother of four, grandmother of 16 and great-grandmother of one. In May 2009, a severe gall bladder attack sent her to the emergency room and subsequent tests confirmed stage IV colon cancer with mets to the liver. Ms. Newcomb’s first oncologist gave her a grim diagnosis of having just months to live and no treatment options. Ms. Newcomb didn’t accept that prognosis and became her own personal advocate finding a team of doctors to work with her and after chemo and a liver resection in September 2009, she is now in remission. After her experience, Ms. Newcomb has become an advocate for more research, treatment options and training for physicians so no one is ever again left without hope if they receive this diagnosis.

Josh Wimberly
Mr. Wimberly is a rectal cancer patient/survivor from Bessemer, Alabama where he lives with his wife Kimberly. He was diagnosed in August 2007 at 30 years old and has undergone four separate rounds of chemotherapy as well as radiation and multiple surgeries. Mr. Wimberly has participated in the Fight Colorectal Cancer annual lobby day for the last three years.

Steve was an extraordinary volunteer and advocate for people living with colon and rectal cancer.  He worked hard to promote screening and end death and suffering from colorectal cancer.

He had advanced colon cancer and had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma, although both cancers were in remission until very shortly before his death.

He brought both his personal experience with cancer and a strong scientific background to his work with Fight Colorectal Cancer as a member of the board of directors and an advocate with members of Congress.

Steve had a doctorate in physics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  In his first job after graduate school, he worked for the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico where his group developed radio frequency identification (RFID) technology that has become E-ZPass on major highways.  After moving to IBM, he was closely involved in developing the flat liquid crystal displays that have enabled light, portable laptop computers, cell phones, and flatscreen televisions.  He holds 8 patents for his work.

He is survived by his wife Bonnie, his son Colin, his daughter-in-law Krista and his grandson Alexander.