Colon Cancer Challenge Foundation

MISSION: TO FIGHT AGAINST COLORECTAL CANCER (CRC) BY SUPPORTING RESEARCH, LEADING ADVOCACY, AND PROMOTING TREATMENT AND PREVENTION THROUGH EDUCATION AND AWARENESS.

DESCRIPTION OF FIRST EXEMPT PURPOSE ACCOMPLISHMENT SUPPORTING RESEARCH THE COLON CANCER FOUNDATION (CCF) CONTINUES TO FULFILL ONE OF ITS CRITICAL MISSION OBJECTIVES - RECOGNIZING AND SUPPORTING EXCELLENCE IN TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH FOCUSED ON THE MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF CRC BY PROVIDING COLORECTAL CANCER RESEARCH SCHOLAR AWARDS FOR THE TOP-RANKING ABSTRACTS SUBMITTED BY TRAINEES OR JUNIOR FACULTY MEMBERS ATTENDING NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES. AWARDS PROVIDE FUNDING TO COVER MEETING, REGISTRATION AND TRAVEL EXPENSES TO THE CONFERENCES. IN PROVIDING THESE AWARDS, THE FOUNDATION SEEKS TO BOTH SUPPORT AND PROMOTE CRC RESEARCH. THE FOUNDATION HAS A SPECIAL INTEREST IN THE BIOLOGY OF EARLY AGE ONSET AND HEREDITARY CRC. HOWEVER, RESEARCH INTO OTHER AREAS OF CRC (E.G., NOVEL TREATMENTS, INNOVATIVE MINIMALLY INVASIVE SCREENING TECHNOLOGIES) IS ALSO CONSIDERED. PARTICIPATING CONFERENCES AND ORGANIZATIONS CURRENTLY INCLUDE: -THE COLLABORATIVE GROUP OF THE AMERICAS ON INHERITED COLORECTAL CANCER (CGA-ICC); -THE SOCIETY FOR SURGICAL ONCOLOGY (SSO); AND THE FOUNDATION'S OWN -EARLY AGE ONSET COLORECTAL CANCER (EAO-CRC) SUMMIT TO FURTHER SUPPORT THOSE YOUNG OR EARLY CAREER INVESTIGATORS FOCUSING THEIR RESEARCH EFFORTS ON THE BIOLOGY OF EARLY AGE ONSET AND HEREDITARY COLORECTAL CANCER, THE FOUNDATION INCORPORATED AN ABSTRACT/POSTER SESSION INTO ITS ANNUAL EARLY AGE ONSET COLORECTAL CANCER (EAO-CRC) SUMMIT. TOPICS HAVE INCLUDED, "DOES THE IMPACT OF TUMOR SIDEDNESS DIFFER FOR YOUNG-ONSET VS. LATER-ONSET COLORECTAL CANCER?", "THE PSYCHOSOCIAL AND FINANCIAL BURDEN ON CAREGIVERS OF YOUNG-ONSET COLORECTAL CANCER" COLON CANCER PREVENTION INTERNSHIP PROGRAM CCF RECOGNIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF A NEW GENERATION OF PUBLIC HEALTH LEADERS WHO UNDERSTAND PUBLIC HEALTH AND CANCER PREVENTION ISSUES AND THE ROLE OF INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS IN ACHIEVING OUR MISSION OF A WORLD WITHOUT COLORECTAL CANCER. IN THIS REGARD, THE CCF CREATED AND LAUNCHED AN INTERNSHIP PROGRAM THAT AIMS TO TRAIN YOUNG AND ENERGETIC INDIVIDUALS ENTERING THE FIELD OF PUBLIC HEALTH, ESPECIALLY THOSE INTERESTED IN CANCER PREVENTION. THUS FAR, OUR INTERNS HAVE COME FROM LEADING MEDICAL SCHOOLS, PUBLIC HEALTH AND COMMUNICATIONS PROGRAMS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY AND EVEN THE GLOBE. AS PART OF THE INTERNSHIP, STUDENTS REVIEW NEW CRC RESEARCH STUDIES, ATTEND CRC VIRTUAL CONFERENCES AND UPDATE OUR DIGITAL PLATFORM AND WEB ARTICLES TO REFLECT THE LATEST RESEARCH ON CANCER PREVENTION, INCLUDING DIET, EXERCISE, AND OTHER HEALTH HABITS AS WELL AS AVOIDING DANGEROUS EXPOSURES. THEY PROACTIVELY RESEARCH CURRENT PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUES IN THE CRC PREVENTION SPACE, SUCCINCTLY ARTICULATE HEALTH RESEARCH AND POLICY CHANGES TO A VARIETY OF AUDIENCES AND CRITICALLY ASSESS DIFFERING PERSPECTIVES ON HEALTH ISSUES - ALL REFLECTIVE OF A PATIENT'S JOURNEY THROUGH THE CONTINUUM OF CARE. THROUGH THESE INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES, STUDENTS WILL LEARN FIRST-HAND ABOUT PUBLIC HEALTH AND CANCER PREVENTION, GAINING HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE IN SEVERAL AREAS, INCLUDING EDUCATION AND AWARENESS, COMMUNICATION/MEDIA RELATIONS, AND CONSTITUENT ENGAGEMENT. OUR ENTIRE TEAM WORKS CLOSELY WITH THE MEDIA TO GET OUR MESSAGE OUT TO THE PUBLIC. WE CONNECT WITH POLICY MAKERS AND DECISION MAKERS ON A NATIONAL LEVEL TO CHANGE PUBLIC POLICY AND WORK WITH INDEPENDENT RESEARCHERS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY TO BRING FAIR, UNBIASED AND NON-CORPORATE-FUNDED INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC ABOUT TIMELY ISSUES THAT MATTER TO CLINICIANS AND PATIENTS SUCH AS DIET AND EXERCISE, FAMILY HISTORY, GENETIC SYNDROMES, AND CRC OF UNKNOWN CAUSE. THE THOMAS K. WEBER RESEARCH LIBRARY - IN MEMORY OF OUR FOUNDER, THE LATE DR. THOMAS K. WEBER, MD, FACS THE FOUNDATION COMPILED AN EXHAUSTIVE LIST OF HIS PUBLICATIONS. FIFTY PUBLICATIONS INCLUDING COVERING TOPICS SUCH AS COLONIC NEOPLASIA, THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A COLORECTAL CANCER REGISTRY, DESMOID TUMORS, GASTROINTESTINAL POLYPS IN FAMILIAL ADENOMATOUS POLYPOSIS, CHEMOPREVENTION OF COLON CANCER, AND CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS OF MULTIPLE COLORECTAL CARCINOMAS IN HEREDITARY NONPOLYPOSIS COLORECTAL CARCINOMA ARE ALL INCLUDED AND AVAILABLE FOR OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS.

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DESCRIPTION OF SECOND EXEMPT PURPOSE ACCOMPLISHMENT LEADING ADVOCACY EFFORTS THE FOUNDATION'S ADVOCACY EFFORTS CONTINUED IN 2022. WHILE COVID-19 WAS STILL IMPACTING THE WORLD AND CRC SCREENING RATES, IT MADE OUR MESSAGE ALL THE MORE IMPORTANT. WE CONTINUED OUR MISSION TO EDUCATE AND ADVOCATE AROUND THE IMPORTANCE OF CRC SCREENING. THE FOUNDATION JOINED EFFORTS WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS IN THE CRC SPACE TO EDUCATE THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND CLINICIANS ON THE UPDATED GUIDELINES FROM THE U.S. PREVENTIVE SERVICES TASK FORCE THAT LOWERED THE SCREENING AGE FOR AVERAGE-RISK ADULTS TO 45 YEARS. CCF ALSO COLLABORATED WITH OTHER ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS IN SUPPORT OF ASSEMBLY BILL A.1741A/S.5299A TO PREVENT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF CO-PAY ACCUMULATOR PROGRAMS, WHICH WOULD HELP REDUCE THE FINANCIAL BURDEN ON PATIENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK. IN ADDITION, THE FOUNDATION IS A STAUNCH ADVOCATE FOR TIMELY, EFFECTIVE QUALITY-OF-LIFE AND FERTILITY PRESERVING TREATMENT FOR ALL PATIENTS REGARDLESS OF WHERE THEY ARE TREATED. WHETHER IT BE A LARGE ACADEMIC MEDICAL INSTITUTION IN A PROMINENT U.S. CITY OR A COMMUNITY CANCER CENTER.

DESCRIPTION OF 3RD EXEMPT PURPOSE ACCOMPLISHMENT PREVENTION & SCREENING THE FOUNDATION IS PROUD OF OUR DIRECT GRASSROOTS OUTREACH TO COMMUNITIES AND INDIVIDUALS IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES AND OUR WORK WITH LOCAL, REGIONAL, NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS ON THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF UP-TO-DATE POLICIES AND PROGRAMS THAT CONTINUE TO ADDRESS COLORECTAL CANCER INCIDENCE AND DEATH AND QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES AFFECTING PATIENTS AND CAREGIVERS. THE FOUNDATION CONTINUED ITS MISSION TO APPROACH COLORECTAL CANCER PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS IN AS CREATIVE A MANNER AS POSSIBLE.