Ted Gansler, MD, medical director of health content for the ACS, presents an understandable and comprehensive discussion of colorectal cancer. The video lecture will be posted today and will remain accessible any time during the next six months at the CancerEducation.com site ? www.cancereducation.com.

The hour-long Webcast is a cooperative effort between CancerEducation.com and the ACS intended to kick-off the first-ever national Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month in March.

In the video, Dr. Gansler emphasizes the importance of prevention and early diagnosis in lowering the number of people who develop and die from colorectal cancer.

The success of early detection and prevention in fighting this disease requires a coordinated effort of well-informed patients and doctors, and this program aims to foster that patient-doctor relationship.

In patient-friendly language, Dr. Gansler highlights the importance of screening tests, which are very effective at finding colorectal cancers at the earliest stages, and also in finding pre-cancerous polyps, which can be removed to prevent cancers from forming. When colorectal cancer is detected in an early, localized stage, the five-year relative survival rate is 90 percent; however, only 37 percent of cancers are discovered at that stage.

Dr. Gansler also discusses risk factors and symptoms of colorectal cancer, presents information on diagnostic and treatment methods and offers tips on lowering colorectal cancer risk.

Michael S. Weiss, chief executive officer of CancerEducation.com, said his organization is pleased to help the ACS educate the public about colorectal cancer. "We are committed to serving the cancer community, and we are confident that in this way we will help save lives."

"We at the American Cancer Society have the message ? and CancerEducation.com has the type of far-reaching, authoritative vehicle through which we can collaboratively increase the public?s awareness of this deadly disease," Dr. Gansler added.

The ACS estimates 130,200 people in the US will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer this year, and 56,300 people are expected to die of the disease. Colorectal cancer the third most common and the third most deadly cancer, behind lung and breast cancer for women, and lung and prostate cancer for men.