Matt Holliday Teams with Wash U's Siteman Cancer Center

Matt Holliday, outfielder for the St. Louis Cardinals, is teaming with the Siteman Cancer Center to promote colon cancer screenings.

Kathy Holliday, mother of Matt Holliday, was diagnosed with colon cancer last year. 

She and her son are teaming up with the Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine, where Kathy was treated, to encourage colon screenings for anyone age 50 and older.

“It could save your life,” says Kathy Holliday, who is cancer free after being treated by Washington University surgeon Steven Hunt, MD.

Colon cancer strikes 1 of every 20 U.S. women and men in their lifetimes, according to a Siteman press release. Most people survive the disease if it’s discovered early.

Matt Holliday and other family members were by Kathy Holliday’s side after her surgery at Barnes-Jewish Hospital last October. Hours later, he suited up for Game 4 of the National League Championship Series against the San Francisco Giants.

“My mom is a fighter, a value she instilled in my brother and me,” Matt Holliday said in a release. “She also taught us the importance of giving back to the community and looking out for others, which is why she and I are involved in this cause.”  

As part of the “Cancer Doesn’t Take a Holliday” campaign, Siteman experts will attend the May 13 Cardinals game where they will help call attention to the importance of screenings

The campaign also will include signed jersey and baseball giveaways and free tickets to the May 13 Cardinals game. 

“As a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, we are focused on improving the health of our region,” Siteman director Timothy Eberlein, MD, said in the release. “With Kathy and Matt Holliday at the center of this campaign, we aim to raise awareness about the importance of regular colon cancer screenings for everyone, beginning at age 50.”

Missouri and Illinois have two of the highest colon cancer death rates of any state, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of every 100,000 residents, more than 52 Missourians and more than 54 Illinoisans died of the disease in 2009, according to the latest available statistics. The national average is 49.2 colon cancer deaths per 100,000 people.

For more information about colon cancer screenings, treatments or prevention, visit http://sitemanscreening.wustl.edu. To schedule an exam, call 314-454-7179.