Olympus Announces Grant Award to Support Brazilian Colorectal Cancer Awareness Initiative

Short-Term Product Loan Facilitates Hundreds of No-Cost Colonoscopies

CENTER VALLEY, Pa. (March 25, 2026) – The Olympus Corporation of the Americas (Olympus) Grants Committee approved a short-term product loan allowing physicians in Brazil to provide no-cost colonoscopies to help expand access to early detection of colorectal cancer.

The in-kind grant supports the Campanha Marco Azul (Blue March) initiative spearheaded by the Brazilian Societies of Coloproctology (SBCP) and Digestive Endoscopy (SOBED) and the Brazilian Federation of Gastroenterology (FBG). The temporary equipment loan includes an EVIS EXERA III endoscopy system along with four compatible colonoscopes.

Volunteer gastroenterologists with SBCP, SOBED and FBG used the equipment to perform hundreds of no-cost colonoscopies as part of a larger campaign to screen for colorectal cancer. In conjunction with the initiative, the participating societies with support from the local health system and the Municipality of Seabra, Bahia, previously distributed 8,000 fecal immunochemical tests (FIT), which checks for hidden blood in the stool, to residents ages 50-70.

A colonoscopy is necessary if a FIT test returns an abnormal result. Those with an abnormal FIT test result were prioritized for diagnostic screening through the Campanha Marco Azul initiative.

Dr. Eduarda Tebet, serves as SOBED National Coordinator of the Março Azul Campaign. During this year’s initiative, endoscopists, joined by a shared mission of service and prevention, performed 624 colonoscopies, removed more than 300 polyps and diagnosed eight advanced cancers, according to Dr. Tebet.

“Março Azul reminds us that medicine reaches its highest purpose when knowledge, technology, and solidarity come together to serve others. More than 60 volunteer physicians and over 200 healthcare professionals united their expertise and generosity to deliver large-scale colorectal cancer screening for an underserved population,” Dr. Tebet said. “This impact would not have been possible without the partnership of the MedTech industry, whose support and loaned endoscopic equipment made it feasible to bring high-quality screening to a region where access is limited. When physicians, healthcare teams, and industry work side by side with a shared commitment to prevention, the results go far beyond numbers — they represent lives protected, fears relieved, and futures changed.”

Launched in 2021, Campanha Marco Azul unites specialists and volunteers to address colorectal cancer prevention through screenings and improving the quality of life through early detection and treatment. This year’s effort – deemed Jornada da Vida (Journey of Life) — marks the largest colorectal cancer prevention initiative ever undertaken by SOBED based on coordinated screening and follow-up procedures within a single municipality.

In Brazil, colorectal cancer has become the second most common cancer among men and women combined with more than 45,000 cases estimated annually.¹ The Brazilian National Cancer Institute (INCA) estimates nearly 27,000 colorectal cancer deaths annually, the third most common cause of cancer deaths in men and women.²

This most recent grant builds on the longstanding support the Olympus has provided to SOBED. Each year, the Olympus Grants Committee contributes both financial resources and in‑kind assistance to a variety of independent medical education programs coordinated by SOBED, including the Annual Brazilian Digestive Week and SOBED Days. These initiatives feature live case demonstrations, hands‑on workshops, and expert‑led lectures.

“Olympus is proud to support such an important initiative like Campanha Marco Azul. As incidences of colorectal cancer continue to rise, the work of groups like SOBED become that much more critical in reinforcing the key messages of preventive screenings and early detection,” said Jovan Reyerson, Sr. Vice President, Medical & Scientific Affairs, Olympus Corporation. “This work is also crucial in helping to educate the public about colorectal cancer risk factors and symptoms, recommendations around screening ages and why knowing and sharing family health history is so important.”

Visit the Olympus grants program page to learn more about the grants program and what it funds.

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At Olympus, we are committed to Our Purpose of making people’s lives healthier, safer and more fulfilling. As a global medical technology company, we partner with healthcare professionals to provide solutions and services for early detection, diagnosis and minimally invasive treatment, aiming to improve patient outcomes by elevating the standard of care in targeted disease states.

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¹ Averbach M, Tebet EN, Moura EGH, “Colorectal Cancer: Global And Brazilian Perspectives, Prevention, And The Impact Of The Blue March Campaign.” Arq Gastroenterol. 2025 Apr 4;62:e25000. doi: 10.1590/S0004-2803.24612025-000. PMID: 40197887; PMCID: PMC12043192.

² Gov.br, Ministry of Health, National Cancer Institute, Cancer Statistics, Updated Feb. 4, 2026