Colorectal cancers are the third most common cancers in men and women. According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 130,200 new cases will be diagnosed this year, with an estimated 56,300 deaths resulting from the disease, accounting for about 11 percent of all cancer deaths. March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.

Selma R. Schimmel, host of The Group Room® and founder and president of Vital Options® Telesupport® Cancer Network said, “One of the goals of this broadcast is to get the message out about the importance of screening and to help inform the public about the significant advances in the treatment of colorectal cancers.”

“Nearly all colorectal cancers found in the earliest polyp stage are curable,” said Dr. Robert W. Beart, the Charles and Carolyn Costello Professor of Surgery at the Keck School of Medicine of USC and chief of the Division of Colorectal Surgery, who will be a guest on the show. Beart is highly regarded for his extensive research into the treatment of colorectal diseases and his surgical techniques that help colorectal cancer patients avoid colostomies.

Dr. Heinz-Josef Lenz, who will also be a guest, is assistant professor of medicine and scientific director of USC/Norris’ Cancer Genetics Unit and director of its Gastrointestinal Oncology Program.

"This is a very exciting time in the treatment of colorectal cancer," said Lenz, a medical oncologist involved in both laboratory research and patient care. "We are developing molecular profiles to help determine the most appropriate course of treatment for each patient; new chemotherapeutic agents are becoming available, including some that do not present problems with drug resistance; and innovative therapies using anti-angiogenesis drugs may offer more effective treatments with fewer or no side effects," he added.

All phone calls to The Group Room, the world’s largest support group, are screened by a licensed oncology social worker and topics about all aspects of cancer will be accepted. Callers can enter discussions by dialing 1-800-GRP-ROOM (1-800-477-7666).

In addition to Schimmel, The Group Room’s other in-studio regulars include medical oncologist Dr. Michael Van Scoy-Mosher, radiation oncologist Dr. Leslie Botnick and therapist Halina Irving, who is also a cancer survivor.

Those attending the live remote will have an opportunity to participate in the broadcast. For information about this free event, call Michelle Rand at Vital Options, 1-818-788-5225.

The two-hour program airs live every Sunday from 4-6 p.m. ET (1-3 p.m. PT) in selected cities throughout the United States, including New York, Los Angeles, Washington DC, Memphis and New Orleans, and reaches more than 300,000 listeners a week. It is also simulcast worldwide via the Internet (www.vitaloptions.org).

Highlights of this special remote broadcast will also be webcast by HEALTHeatre.com (http://www.HEALTHeatre.com) in real-time, full-screen video and CD-quality audio.

The Group Room is produced by Vital Options TeleSupport Cancer Network, in association with Premiere Radio Networks. Vital Options is a Los Angeles-based national non-profit cancer communications, support and advocacy organization. During the week, individuals can reach Vital Options at 818-508-5657 for support or to receive more information about cancer resources or stations carrying the broadcast.

The Group Room is supported through unrestricted educational grants from founding sponsor Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. and corporate sponsors Ortho Biotech Inc., Pharmacia & Upjohn and Genentech BioOncology Inc.

One of the only facilities in the Pacific Southwest built exclusively for cancer research and patient care, USC/Norris has been designated by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) as a comprehensive cancer center. USC/Norris is staffed by the faculty of the world-renowned Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, and provides a multidisciplinary team approach to cancer research, patient care, prevention and education.