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Olympus gets behind bowel cancer research

To mark the establishment of a formal partnership with Bowel Cancer Australia (BCA), Olympus Australia & New Zealand presented the charity with a $22,000 donation.

At a special ceremony in October, James Bower, Managing Director of Olympus Australia & New Zealand, presented the cheque to Stephanie Bansemer-Brown, representing BCA.

“We have had an ad hoc relationship with BCA through one of our Business Units,” said Oliver Clarke, Communications Manager for Olympus Australia. “We have now formalised the partnership at the corporate level to make the most effective use of the company and staff’s support for the charity’s activities so that our impact is more significant.”

Bowe is a passionate supporter of the charity since bowel cancer is a disease that could affect a large number of Olympus staff either directly or through family members. The company obtained good engagement with its staff after distributing information packs –supplied by BCA –to its branches throughout the country.

“The disease is 100 per cent treatable if caught early,” said Clarke. “By increasing awareness of the disease we can encourage people to seek regular check-ups.”

The company also has a physical link to the early diagnosis of bowel cancer. Olympus endoscopes are used in colonoscopy procedures at many major hospitals and clinics around Australia. These procedures allow surgeons to look for polyps and other potential pre-cancerous indications of the disease.

Olympus produces surgical devices and capsule endoscopes that are also used in the treatment of bowel cancer. The company offers a full line of devices used to excise polyps and lesions, including a proprietary spiral snare designed for flat lesions and a range of biopsy forceps.

In addition to sharing the information about the disease, Olympus’s medical, industrial and microscopy staff in Australia is being encouraged to actively participate in other activities arranged by the BCA. 

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