Logan County Department of Public Health offers free colorectal cancer screening kits

[March 21, 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.

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.

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]