Eastman Kodak Company's Health Imaging Group will leverage the broad appeal of NASCAR racing by reaching out to the large women fan base in an effort to promote better breast health for women.
The No. 77 Kodak Racing Dodge, driven by Brendan Gaughan, will feature two pink ribbons framing the theme of "KODAK Mammography Film" and will make its debut at the Watkins Glen International NASCAR race on August 15 in Watkins Glen, N.Y.
Female interest in NASCAR has increased dramatically, "and represents a great way for us to help raise awareness with a large number ofwomen racing fans about the importance of annual mammograms," said Pamela S. Benkert, General Manager, Mammography and Oncology Business Segment, and Vice President, Kodak's Health Imaging Group.
Recent NASCAR data, in fact, shows that more than 30 million women across the U.S. are NASCAR fans. Of these women fans, some 25 percent are very likely to attend a NASCAR event in the next year or two, while nearly 50 percent were at least very interested in attending a race. "Not only that," Benkert said, "millions more women racing fans watch NASCAR on television and, therefore, will be exposed to important messages on breast health."
"Early detection, diagnosis and treatment for breast cancer is something that is important to me on a very personal level," said Gaughan. "My grandmother is a breast cancer survivor, thanks to early detection and medical follow up. If women NASCAR fans watching the race at Watkins Glen or on television notice the special design on our car and stop to think -- even for just a minute -- about the importance of an annual exam, then we have made a positive contribution in the fight against breast cancer."
At the NASCAR race in Watkins Glen, Kodak will also distribute information from the Kodak tent on the importance of annual mammograms, while special Kodak advertising in support of women's health will appear in the event's racing program.
Kodak is the leader in mammography imaging as a result of continually introducing important products and services that have helped improve the health of women worldwide. In 2003, Kodak launched its latest mammography screen-film system, the KODAK MIN-R EV Screen-Film System that provides enhanced visualization (EV) of subtle abnormalities in breast tissue at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
The KODAK MIN-R EV Screen-Film System represents a significant improvement in image quality compared to the earlier KODAK films, and was trade tested at selected breast imaging clinics in the U.S and around the world. Radiologists have praised Kodak's new screen-film system for its ability to provide improved viewing of clinically significant breast anatomy.
