Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital offers free colon cancer screening kits

[March 17, 2018]   LINCOLN  - March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Colon cancer is the leading cause of death in the United States (men and women combined), yet is highly preventable, detectable, and treatable.

Many people with precancerous conditions or early colon cancer don’t know it. That is why screening is so important. The National Cancer Institute reports that in Logan County, Illinois colon cancer death rates are higher than the state and national average.

In an effort to encourage screenings, Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital is partnering with the Regional Cancer Partnership of Illinois to provide free colorectal screening kits. The kits allow patients to complete the test in the privacy of their own home and return the kit in the envelope provided.

Individuals who have one of the following risk factors are eligible for a free kit: over the age of 50, smoker, heavy alcohol use and overweight.

The kits are limited. Interested individuals should visit the Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital lobby during one of the following dates:

Monday, March 19 from 2pm-5pm
Tuesday, March 20 from 9am-12pm
Wednesday, March 21from 12pm-2pm

“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that if everyone aged 50 years or older had regular screening tests, at least 60% of deaths from colorectal cancer could be avoided. We strongly recommend a screening for anyone 50 or older. And we hope you tell someone you love about the importance of colorectal cancer screenings,” said Angela Stoltzenburg, director of the ALMH Community Health Collaborative.

[Angela L. Stoltzenburg, MBA
Community Health Collaborative, Director
Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital]