Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx has joined Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) and Exact Sciences for a new public service announcement (PSA), which raises awareness about colorectal cancer screenings, early detection and prevention, and focuses on reaching underrepresented communities.
The campaign launched today to coincide with Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month and is in both English and Spanish. The PSA will be placed across print, broadcast, radio, digital and out-of-home outlets.
“Cancer affects everyone. I’ve lost good friends – young friends – to this deadly disease,” said Foxx. “We need to make sure that we are taking care of our bodies, paying attention to certain things, that you didn’t necessarily think about when you were younger. Medical issues come up and you may not know what’s at your disposal, so that is why I am proud to shine a light on the importance of getting screened for colon cancer early and bring awareness to the options that are available with this PSA campaign.”
In 2020, nearly 148,000 Americans received a new diagnosis of colon or rectal cancer. Black people have the highest colorectal cancer rates of any ethnic group in the United States. They are 20% more likely to get colorectal cancer and 40% more likely to die from it than any other population. And research has shown that colorectal cancer screening rates are the lowest in Hispanic communities, with Black and Hispanic people typically being diagnosed at a later stage in the disease when it is more difficult to treat.
“We are so thankful to Jamie Foxx for lending his voice to this campaign. We have seen a sharp drop in screenings as a result of COVID-19, and this compounds an already significant screening disparity in minority communities,” said Sung Poblete, PhD, RN, CEO of Stand Up To Cancer. “With routine screening, colorectal cancer is one of the most preventable cancers. It’s beatable in 90% of cases when detected early, and lives can be saved with just one simple step. People must get screened!”
“We are thrilled to partner with Jamie Foxx and our friends at Stand Up To Cancer to get more people thinking about their options for colorectal cancer screening,” said Kevin Conroy, chairman and CEO of Exact Sciences. “We remain committed to addressing the challenges we face in colorectal cancer screening and helping to save lives with education, awareness and cutting-edge research. Providing personalized outreach and making it easier to get people screened is vital, especially in minority communities.”
The PSA campaign is part of a larger initiative between Exact Sciences and SU2C. With a $10 million grant from Exact Sciences, SU2C will launch a new colorectal cancer ‘Dream Team’ of researchers that will identify communities near anchor institutions serving medically underserved communities.
This Dream Team will help pinpoint unique local needs of those areas and will provide free colorectal cancer testing in the identified zones and study samples collected via approved tests for colorectal cancer, including colonoscopy, CT colonography, flexible sigmoidoscopy, and at-home stool tests that analyze fecal DNA and/or blood. The research will aim to develop better approaches to colorectal cancer interception.
The PSA was directed by Tommy Walker and photographed by G.L. Askew II for Petrol Advertising, a creative marketing and advertising agency specializing in gaming, sports, technology and philanthropy. Walker co-directed and produced the feature-length documentary, God Grew Tired of Us, which won Best Documentary and Audience Award at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival and produced the 2019 documentary, Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am. Askew, originally from Atlanta, is an artist whose work is rooted in communicating the truth of the human experience.
To learn more about screening options, visit StandUpToCancer.org/ColonCancer.
