NATICK, Mass., March 13, 2013 -- Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE: BSX) is supporting several public education initiatives throughout the month of March to highlight the prevalence and prevention of cancers of the colon and rectum as part of Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Colorectal cancer is the second deadliest cancer for men and women in the United States, yet is highly treatable if caught early through routine screenings.

According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 150,000 people in the United States will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2013, and about a third of those will die from the disease.  Early detection is a proven way to improve survival rates as treatment is most effective when colorectal cancer is found early.  The American Cancer Society recommends everyone age 50 and older get screened for colorectal cancer, but only a fraction of this population do.  It is estimated that regular screenings could save as many as 30,000 lives each year.

Boston Scientific is supporting education and awareness throughout the month of March to raise awareness of colorectal cancer through the following activities.

• March 1-7, Boston Scientific supported Fight Colorectal Cancer (FCC) through a charitable donation to its “One Million Strong” campaign. The donation funded a 30-second public service announcement (PSA) that was shown on the NASDAQ MarketSite Tower electronic billboard in Times Square in New York.  The PSA highlighted colorectal cancer and the importance of early detection. It ran every hour for a week.
• On March 2, a group of five physicians from the Dallas Endoscopy Center screened high-risk colorectal cancer patients who would have otherwise not had access to these screenings due to a lack of medical insurance.  Boston Scientific provided a charitable donation through a grant for this event.  
• Colorectal cancer is especially prevalent among African-American males over the age of 50.  On March 9, Boston Scientific highlighted the prevalence and prevention of cancers of the colon and rectum at its booth at the health and wellness pavilion at the Black Expo in Charleston, South Carolina.
• Throughout the month of March, Boston Scientific employees are raising awareness of colorectal cancer and collecting donations for the Colon Cancer Alliance (CCA) by selling colorectal cancer awareness pins at its Natick and Marlborough, Mass. locations.  The proceeds will be donated to the CCA to support its screening mission and its patient and research programs.

About Boston Scientific

Boston Scientific transforms lives through innovative medical solutions that improve the health of patients around the world.  As a global medical technology leader for more than 30 years, we advance science for life by providing a broad range of high performance solutions that address unmet patient needs and reduce the cost of healthcare. For more information, visit us at www.bostonscientific.com and connect on Twitter and Facebook.

CONTACT:

Steven Campanini
508-652-5740 (office)
Global Media Relations
Boston Scientific Corporation
media@bsci.com 

Michael Campbell
508-650-8023 (office)
Investor Relations
Boston Scientific Corporation
investor_relations@bsci.com