Needs Assessment

Excluding skin cancers, colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in both men and women in the United States. The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2014, there will be 96,830 new cases of colon cancer and 40,000 new cases of rectal cancer in the country. Moreover, CRC is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S. when men and women are considered separately, and the second leading cause when they are considered together. This disease will cause an estimated 50,310 deaths in the U.S. during this year alone.¹

Fortunately, the mortality rate for CRC has been on the decline for the last two decades, largely due to the increased efficacy of screening methods and the development of novel targeted therapies. Nevertheless, the fact that national screening rates remain between 54.1% and 75.2% indicate that an educational gap persists.² Many individuals at higher risk of developing CRC neglect to undergo screening due to barriers such as lack of perceived risk for CRC, fear of pain, concerns about modesty, cost, and other health problems.³ The importance of increasing screening rates, coupled with the emergence of new agents with distinct mechanisms of action and therapeutic roles, makes it imperative for physicians and other healthcare professionals involved in the treatment of CRC to have access to up-to-date clinical data. The aim of this CME program is to close the educational gap by providing relevant and timely information on recent clinical advances in CRC.

Accreditation Statement

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education through the joint providership of the Medical College of Wisconsin and Carden Jennings Publishing. The Medical College of Wisconsin is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Credit Designation Statement

The Medical College of Wisconsin designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Commercial Support

This activity is supported by an educational grant from Genentech Inc.

Off-Label/Investigational Use

This educational activity may contain discussion of published and/or investigational uses of agents that are not indicated by the FDA. The opinions expressed in the educational activity are those of the faculty and do not necessarily represent the views of the Medical College of Wisconsin, Carden Jennings Publishing or Genentech, Inc.

Before prescribing any medication, physicians should consult primary references and full prescribing information. Please refer to the official prescribing information for each product for discussion of approved indications, contraindications, and warnings. Further, participants should appraise the information presented critically and are encouraged to consult appropriate resources for any product or device mentioned in this program.