Regional Cancer Partnership to Provide Free Colorectal Screening Kits
Designated days at ALMH in Lincoln March 19th & 20th

[March 14, 2019]  The Regional Cancer Partnership of Illinois will distribute free colorectal home test kits in March across the region.

While not a specific test for colon cancer, the kits can detect the presence of blood, which can be an indicator of several different medical conditions.

The screening kits do not substitute for a colonoscopy, the best method to detect colorectal cancer. Regularly scheduled screenings in the form of colonoscopies can prevent cancer from developing if precancerous polyps are detected and removed before they become cancer. Regular screenings can also find cancer in its earliest stages when it can be treated.

A short consent form is required to pick up the home screening kit. After completing the kit at home, individuals will mail it back in a provided pre-addressed envelope. Individuals will receive a letter notifying them of their results.

Memorial Medical Center’s laboratory will process the tests for free. Only 200 kits are available; they’ll be given away on a first-come, first-served basis.

The screenings are recommended for individuals age 50 and older, people who have a history of colorectal polyps or inflammatory bowel disease, a diet that is high in processed food or red meat, smokers and individuals who are obese or have heavy alcohol use.

The kits will be available at the following locations:

March 11: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Simmons Cancer Institute, 315 W. Carpenter St., Springfield.

March 12: 9 to 11 a.m., Senior Services of Central Illinois, 701 W. Mason St., Springfield.

March 13: 9 a.m. to noon, Taylorville Memorial Hospital, 201 E. Pleasant St.

March 14: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Koke Mill Medical Center, East End Lobby, 3132 Old Jacksonville Road, Springfield.

March 15: 2 to 4 p.m., St. John’s Breadline, 430 N. Fifth St., Springfield.

March 19: 8 a.m. to noon, Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital, 200 Stahlhut Drive, Lincoln.

March 20: 9 a.m. to noon, Taylorville Memorial Hospital, 201 E. Pleasant St.

March 20: 1 to 4 p.m., Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital, 200 Stahlhut Drive, Lincoln.

March 21: 4 to 6 p.m., Passavant Area Hospital, 1600 W. Walnut St., Jacksonville.

March 22: 9 to 11 a.m., Passavant Area Hospital, 1600 W. Walnut St., Jacksonville.

March 22: 9 a.m. to noon, Kumler Outreach Ministries, 303 N. Grand Ave. East, Springfield.

March 25: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Simmons Cancer Institute, 315 W. Carpenter St., Springfield.

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of death among cancers that affect both men and women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Survival rates for colon and rectum cancer are nearly 90 percent when the cancer is diagnosed before it has extended beyond the intestinal wall, according to “Illinois Facts and Figures,” published by the American Cancer Society.

For more information, call [phone].

Members of the Regional Cancer Partnership of Central Illinois include the American Cancer Society, Central Counties Health Centers, Illinois Emergency Management Agency – Radon Division, Illinois Department of Public Health, Logan County Health Department, Mia Ware Foundation in Jacksonville, Passavant Area Hospital in Jacksonville, Regional Cancer Center at Memorial Medical Center, Sangamon County Department of Public Health, Sangamon County Medical Society, Simmons Cancer Institute at SIU, Springfield Urban League, St. Francis Hospital in Litchfield, St. John’s Hospital Cancer Institute, Blessing Hospital in Quincy, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Taylorville Memorial Hospital and Cass County Health Department.

[Michael Leathers, MHS Public Relations]