While watching an episode of Dr. Oz this week my sister and I debated the percentages of African American women dying of colon cancer(CRC.) Based on her education [her associate degree in medical administration] and experience she didn’t think black women had a heavy concern about this cancer.  While I, a full-time patient with ten years experience in and out of hospitals and labs, meeting all types of other female patients, I begged to differ.

Moreover, our grandmother survived colorectal cancer. Yet, she was adamant that we stay on top of our colons until her death. She passed four years ago of malnutrition.

Yesterday we were both saddened to hear the news of Gospel singer Marvin Sapp, mourning the death of his wife and manager, Dr. MaLinda Sapp. She passed of colorectal cancer.

CRC isn’t a glamorous cancer, as if there is such a thing. It’s hard on both the patient and her family. My grandmom lived with colostomy bag.  

And there are also some competing messages about this cancer’s probability among women that needs to be changed, ergo our old debate. Below are some stats about this disease that should stick with you:

• Despite having the greatest risk of developing and dying from colorectal cancer (CRC) of any gender, race or ethnicity, an astounding 96 percent of African American women do not consider themselves to be at high risk for the disease. Source: African American Women Bearing Unequal Burden of Colorectal Cancer
• African-American Women have a mortality rate 40% higher than White CRC patients
• Beginning at age 45 African American women should get these test to check for  polyps and cancer
  • Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years*, or 
  • Colonoscopy every 10 years, or
  • Double-contrast barium enema every 5 years*, or
  • CT colonography (virtual colonoscopy) every 5 years*

To learn more about this Cancer and to support Cancer Research & Initiatives watch Stand Up for Cancer tonight 8PM on all major networks.

Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) one-hour, commercial-free telecast will air on Friday, September 10, 2010 at 8PM EST & PST / 7PM CT on ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, Discovery Health, E!, G4, HBO, HBO Latino, MLB Network, Showtime, The Style Network and TV One and over 30 online streaming partners like AOL, Yahoo! and YouTube.

The SU2C broadcast is dedicated to the 12 million U.S. cancer survivors illustrating how groundbreaking research can change the tide in the fight against the disease. Updates will be provided on the work of the five Stand Up To Cancer Dream Teams, and Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent, will also report on other new medical developments.

Stand Up To Cancer raises funds to hasten the pace of groundbreaking translational research that can get new therapies to patients quickly and save lives. Donations can be made via telephone during the show, anytime online at www.su2c.org or Text STAND to 40202 to give $10 now. 100% of the funds received from the public go to research.

Stand Up To Cancer has raised more than $100 million for cancer research since 2008. Thank you for your support and please join us on September 10th, 2010 with a spectacular line-up of talent – many who will be on hand in the celebrity phone bank.

You can send condolences to the Sapp Family on Their Official Facebook Fan Page here.

Atlanta celebrities and tastemakers are joining forces with Grady Hospital to support a new grassroots fundraising campaign designed to inspire community giving and increase awareness for Atlanta's only Level I Trauma Center. Jermaine Dupri, DJ Drama, Frank Ski, Rashan Ali, Chilli (TLC), Kandi ("Real Housewives of Atlanta), Shawty Lo, Bobby Valentino, Maria More, Cristyle (songwriter), Shanti Das (PressReset.me), Kenny Burns ("The Kenny Burns Show"), J Carter (Sol Fusion), Cory "Coco Brother" Condrey, Taiye Samuel (DTP Records) and Priscilla Renea (Capitol Records artist) will become ambassadors of "G2G" or "Give to Grady," a campaign set to launch Friday, September 10, at 12:30 p.m. EST with a mass messaging event on Twitter and Facebook.

Fans will be encouraged to text "GRADY" to 50555 to donate $5 to one of Atlanta's oldest healthcare facilities. Supporters can also make their donation at www.gradyhealthfoundation.org.

"We are extraordinarily excited that Atlanta's entertainment community will join Grady in what may be the only grassroots fund-raising campaign of this kind in the country. Public hospitals are woven into the fabric of our communities and yet rarely does the community come together in this way to support our important work. Atlanta is a special place, with special people who are genuinely concerned about each other and the city," said Lisa Borders, president of the Grady Health Foundation. The G2G campaign will run through the end of the year and include a press reception in October and a series of promotional events around the city. TV spots are currently airing on local cable stations. Grady Hospital is metro Atlanta's only Level I Trauma Center and provides state-of-the-art health care across a variety of disciplines, including trauma, neurosciences, burn and wound care, sickle cell and neo-natal intensive care. The medical facility depends on contributions from the private sector to advance the work, services and research it provides to the community. Grady hopes to raise $100,000 through the G2G campaign.

For more information on G2G, visit www.gradyhealthfoundation.org.

The nation's largest competitive multicultural film fest will convene in NYC

The 14th Annual Urbanworld Film Festival, presented by BET Networks, is proud to announce Urbanworld Digital, an exciting addition to the festival that will be hosted by HBO® on September 15, 2010. This invite-only program will feature executives from Abrams Artists Agency, HBO, MTV Networks, NamcoBandai America, Screen Actors Guild, Writers Guild of America, East, and SAGindie, who will share their expertise in gaming, social media, new media contracts, and production. A collaboration between Jigsaw Global and the Urbanworld Foundation, Urbanworld Digital will serve as a primer for film professionals who want to learn more about digital media production and make new contacts on the tech side of the entertainment industry.

"We're excited about our partnership with Jigsaw Global, which has allowed us to bring the digital aspect of the entertainment industry back to the festival in its own, unique programming track," says Stacy Spikes, founder of Urbanworld. "HBO is the perfect host for Urbanworld Digital, because HBO continues to innovate in the worlds of film, TV, and digital media."

The festival will continue September 16 - 19 at the AMC 34th St Theater in New York City. Unique programming features include BET Networks' Inaugural TV Script Writing Competition, in which aspiring TV writers will have a chance to win $5,000, and the BET Networks with "My Black is Beautiful" Present: The Tasha Smith Actors Workshop, a two-day instructional seminar offering students the chance to hone their acting skills.
In addition to festival ambassador Kerry Washington, celebs such as Nia Long, Jamie Hector, Omari Hardwick, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Evan Ross, Kid Capri and Clint Dyer will be in attendance to support their respective films.  Spotlight films and programs at Urbanworld this year include: 
* HBO's Boardwalk Empire, a 1920s-era drama set in Atlantic City at the dawn of Prohibition (series premiere) from Terence Winter, Emmy® Award-winning writer of The Sopranos® and Academy® Award-winning director Martin Scorsese

* BET's My Mic Sounds Nice, a documentary exploring the role of female rappers in hip-hop (directed by Ava DuVernay and featuring interviews by Missy Elliott, EVE, Trina, Rah Digga, MC Lyte, Yo Yo and more)

* One Night in Vegas, part of ESPN's "30 for 30" documentary series, this film details the evening of 1996 when Tupac Shakur was shot and Mike Tyson lost to Bruce Seldon (directed by Reggie Rock Bythewood; starring Mike Tyson)

* Kid Capri Presents: The Lionz Den, a short film about an underground rap battle in Harlem (directed by Kid Capri and Loaded Lux, starring Big Daddy Kane, KRS-One, and Rakim)

* Sus, a based-on-a-true-story drama centering on the controversial British "sus" laws and their inherent racism (directed by Robert Heath; starring Ralph Brown, Clint Dyer)

* Africa Rising, a documentary portraying the grassroots movement to end female genital mutilation (directed by Paula Heredia)

For the complete slate of films or ticket information, visit www.urbanworld.org. For more information on Urbanworld Digital, visit http://ow.ly/2x1gy.