Myriad Genetics shows strong commitment, support in the fight against colorectal cancer

Myriad Teams Up with Fight Colorectal Cancer to Support the #StrongArmSelfie Social Media Campaign throughout March

Myriad Genetics, Inc., a leader in molecular diagnostics and personalized medicine, continues to demonstrate an unmatched commitment to hereditary cancer risk assessment and genetic testing during National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.

As the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in both men and women in the United States, colon cancer kills one person every 10 minutes.  More than 140,000 new cases of colon cancer are expected to be diagnosed this year alone.  According to the American Cancer Society, one in 22 men and one in 24 women will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer in their lifetime.  It is estimated that five to 10 percent of all colon cancers are caused by an inherited genetic mutation that is passed on from parent to child.

“Myriad has been a pioneer in the field of hereditary cancer risk assessment for colon cancer for more than 20 years, and that commitment continues today,” said Johnathan Lancaster, M.D., Ph.D., chief medical officer, Myriad Genetics, Inc.  “We believe that knowledge is power, and for many patients with colon cancer, genetic testing can make a real difference to them and to the lives of their family members.”

The leading genetic test for hereditary colon cancer risk assessment is called myRisk^® Hereditary Cancer.  People can take the Hereditary Cancer Quiz to determine if they might be suitable candidates for genetic testing.  The quiz results provide helpful information that people can use to discuss their personal risk of colon cancer with their healthcare professional.

“If you have a family history of colon, ovarian, and/or uterine/endometrial cancer, it could be caused by a hereditary cancer syndrome,” said Sapna Syngal, M.D., director of research at the Center for Cancer Genetics and Prevention at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.  “And if you have colon cancer and were diagnosed before 50 years of age, you should definitely pursue discussions about genetic testing.”

Myriad Joins Forces with #StrongArmSelfie Social Media Campaign

Myriad is committed to advocating for patients with colon cancer and is collaborating with Fight Colorectal Cancer throughout March.  As such, Myriad will sponsor the #StrongArmSelfie social media campaign, donating $1 to Fight Colorectal Cancer for the first 5,000 people who share selfies using #StrongArmSelfie.  A #StrongArmSelfie is an easy way to show support in the fight against colorectal cancer.  All people need to do is post or share a photo onto a public Twitter or Instagram account with the hashtag #StrongArmSelfie. For more information about how to participate in the #StrongArmSelfie campaign, visit www.fightcolorectalcancer.org.

“We are very excited that Myriad Genetics is showing its support in the fight against colorectal cancer and the #StrongArmSelfie campaign,” said Michell Baker, director of Partnership Development at Fight Colorectal Cancer.  “We’ve already seen #StrongArmSelfie posts from people all over the world! Famous individuals like Coach Jim Harbaugh, Bear Grylls, Luke Perry, the hosts of The Doctors TV show and more have flexed for a #StrongArmSelfie to show their support for the cause.”