ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill., May 29, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS) has given its 2012 David Jagelman, MD, Award for Advocacy in Colorectal Cancer to Andrew Spiegel, Chief Executive Officer of the Colon Cancer Alliance (CCA) and one of the world's leading advocates on behalf of colorectal cancer patients.
The award will be presented during the Society's Annual Meeting in San Antonio, TX, on June 3rd. ASCRS Public Relations Committee Member Dr. Scott Steele said Spiegel's personal connection to the cause has helped to make him a passionate advocate on behalf of patients, and he is living proof that one person can make a difference.
The Colon Cancer Alliance is the United States' leading nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing awareness of colorectal cancer, supporting patients and their families, advocating on their behalf and supporting research. The organization recently launched a global colorectal cancer organization in partnership with the leading patient advocacy group in Europe. For more information, visit www.ccalliance.org.
Spiegel has a long and personal history with colorectal cancer. In 1998, his mother was diagnosed with metastatic colon cancer. She exhibited numerous symptoms, which were ignored by her physicians, and died nine months later. It was then that Spiegel and a group of others founded the CCA to help bring greater public awareness to the disease and to provide support for those already affected.
Since then, the CCA has grown tremendously and is one of the world's leading advocacy groups in the battle against colorectal cancer. Presently, the CCA boasts more than 15 unique and innovative programs that help hundreds of thousands affected by colorectal cancer each year and saves countless lives by raising awareness about this disease.
Spiegel is a member of the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable and is on the Stand Up to Cancer Advocate Advisory Council. He is also co-founder and co-executive director of the Global Colon Cancer Alliance, an international patient advocacy organization. He serves on the steering committee of the Alliance for Safe Biologic Medicines, on the Board and Membership Committee of the Digestive Disease National Coalition, is a member of the Coalition for Imaging and Bioengineering Research and is a member of the Computerized Tomography Coalition, and an active member of many other health care coalitions and organizations.
"Mr. Spiegel's achievements deserve recognition in the tradition of patient advocacy pioneered by our own Dr. David Jagelman," Dr. Steele said. Dr. Jagelman, an ASCRS member and chair of the Department of Colorectal Surgery at the Cleveland Clinic Florida, was a widely admired patient advocate who founded and directed the Cleveland Clinic's Familial Polyposis Registry.
About ASCRS
The 2,600-member American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons is located in the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights. Its board-certified colon and rectal surgeons complete a residency in general surgery, plus an additional year in colon and rectal surgery, and pass an intensive examination conducted by the American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery. For more information, visit www.fascrs.org.