Effort Kicks Off National Campaign to Raise Public Awareness, Advance Clinical Research, and Promote Early Detection of Second-Leading Cause of Cancer-Related Death in the United States

Insurer's Role Expands Upon Its Historic Efforts to Detect Cancer Among Its Members

BLUE BELL, PA, March 1, 2000 -- Aetna and the Aetna Foundation announced today their sponsorship of the National Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance (NCCRA), an organization dedicated to the promotion of aggressive colorectal cancer research and heightened public awareness about preventive testing. As the founding sponsor, Aetna has committed a total of $5 million to the alliance, which was launched in 2000 by Today show anchor Katie Couric (whose husband, Jay Monahan, died of colorectal cancer in 1998), her friend Lilly Tartikoff, a nationally known anti-cancer fundraiser, and the Entertainment Industry Foundation, a California based non-profit organization. The Aetna contribution, the largest single-sponsor donation to date, earmarks $3.5 million for research initiatives and $1.5 million for public education.

“Aetna's generous contribution will seed the NCCRA's goal of raising millions of dollars for colorectal cancer research,” said Lisa C. Paulsen, President and Chief Executive Officer, Entertainment Industry Foundation. “The money donated for research will be distributed among a select team of scientists who are doing the most advanced, cutting-edge research throughout the United States.”

“Because of our commitment to raising the quality of healthcare in America, Aetna and the Aetna Foundation are supporting this important national campaign to help the public understand the vital facts about this deadly disease and to urge a national focus on prevention and screening,” said Michael Cardillo, president, Aetna. “We are proud to join the NCCRA in the urgent mission to prevent, detect and cure colorectal cancer.”

According to the National Cancer Institute, colorectal cancer, which includes cancer of the colon or rectum, is the second-leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States, with an estimated 129,000 cases diagnosed last year. Among cancers that kill both men and women, only lung cancer takes more lives than colorectal cancer. If found early and treated promptly, more than 90 percent of these cases can be cured.

Aetna has a long history of innovation in member health education and disease management, offering many special programs that reach out to members and their doctors to help detect cancer in its early stages. The 400,000 physicians and medical professionals who treat Aetna members play a vital role in early detection outreach.

At-Home Screening Kit Available to Members Age 50 and Older

Aetna pioneered the Aetna Check™ Cancer Screening Program, which will reach approximately two million adults age 50 and older with annual mailings that include a free, at-home stool blood test and educational materials. The kit, called a fecal-occult blood test, is easy to use and conducted in the privacy of members' homes. The primary care physician of every member who takes the at-home test receives the test results and determines whether follow-up testing or treatment is necessary.

The Fecal (stool) Occult (hidden) Blood Test (FOBT) is one of the most useful screening tools in the fight against colorectal cancer. A U.S. study showed a reduction in colorectal cancer deaths among participants who were screened annually by FOBT (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, At-A-Glance, 1999). Several studies, including one in a 1997 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, have shown that cancers detected by FOBT tend to be of an earlier stage compared with those that are not detected with this test. The test can also help detect other treatable stomach and intestinal conditions such as ulcers and hemorrhoids.

“As a health care company, we are committed to helping advance clinical research,” continued Mr. Cardillo. “Having witnessed the success of detection programs among our health plan membership, we are truly committed to seeing the message about the crucial importance of early detection carried to the population at large. Working with the Alliance, we hope to realize the tremendous promise of an aggressive campaign to promote early detection of this deadly disease.”

Aetna has a ongoing commitment to clinical research through its Academic Medicine and Managed Care Forum, which makes grants to universities and research organizations to study national clinical data and treatment patterns, all with the goal of improving quality of care. In addition, Aetna maintains a nationally-recognized database, which collects and analyzes information on its members and physicians. This data allows Aetna to identify high-risk members and collaborate with physicians on ways to ensure appropriate care.

“Managed care organizations have an important role to play in reaching out to the public and doctors to encourage prevention and screening of cancer. Aetna's Check Cancer Screening Program is a valuable tool in raising public awareness of colorectal cancer and urging early detection,” said Bernard Levin, M.D., vice president of Cancer Prevention at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, and a co-chair of the recent National Cancer Institute's Progress Review Group on Colorectal Cancer.

Aetna is the nation's leading health and related benefits organization, with a total health enrollment of nearly 21 million members nationwide and a network of 400,000 physicians and medical professionals. For more information on colorectal cancer, please visit Aetna's health information affiliate, InteliHealth, at http://www.intelihealth.com or visit the National Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance at http://www.nccra.org.