Logan County Department
of Public Health offers free colorectal cancer screening
kits
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[March 12, 2020]
For many Americans, colorectal cancer is an all-too-common reality.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), colorectal cancer
affects both men and women and is the second leading cause of cancer
deaths in the United States. In fact, each year approximately 140,000
people in the U.S. get colorectal cancer and greater than 50,000 die.
More than 90% of people who fall victim to colorectal cancer are age 50
years and older.
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The good news is that colorectal cancer can be prevented by taking
simple preventative measures. The CDC states that about nine out of
every 10 people are still alive five years after detection and
treatment if their colorectal cancers are found early. Getting
screened is a simple step to detect the early and preventable stage
of cancer and this measure saves lives!
In celebration of Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, the Logan
County Department of Public Health (LCDPH) is giving away FREE fecal
immunochemical tests (FIT) to anyone over the age of 40 during the
month of March. As a next best option for individuals who avoid
having a colonoscopy, a fecal immunochemical test (FIT) screens for
early signs of colorectal cancer. This test is a quick and
easy take home stool sample kit which is very sensitive to detecting
any blood found in the stool. Hidden blood in the stool can be
associated with gastrointestinal disease, including colorectal
cancer. Any type of rectal bleeding is abnormal and should be
evaluated by your physician.
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FIT screening kits are an excellent way to detect early stages of colorectal
cancer and supplies are limited so act fast! Although a colonoscopy is the best
option available to detect colorectal cancer at an early stage, a FIT test
remains a sensible alternative. For more information, please contact Kara Davis
with the Logan County Department of Public Health at 217-735-2317. The
department hours of operation are Monday-Friday, 7:30am-4:30pm. For more
information regarding LCDPH services, you can log onto their website at
WWW.LCDPH.ORG.
[Don Cavi, MS, LEHP
Public Health Administrator
Logan County Department of Public Health] |