KRHC to give away 250 cancer test kits

Free colorectal screening kits will be available at KRHC on March 18 from 1 to 4:30 p.m. in the hospital lobby and on March 19 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 pm. in the clinic waiting room. 

The American Cancer Society and Mercy Medical Center – North Iowa are sponsoring free colorectal screenings to raise awareness that colon cancer, the second leading cause of cancer death in the U.S., is largely preventable. The free kit involves a fecal occult blood test, a simple at-home procedure that checks stool samples for hidden blood, which can be a sign of cancer, polyps, or other internal disorders.  All results are kept confidential and mailed directly back to the home address provided at the time the kit is picked up.  It is up to the patient to share the results with his or her health care provider.

In 2007, more than 1,890 men and women in Iowa are expected to be diagnosed with colon cancer, and 660 are expected to die from the disease. The number of colon cancer deaths could be cut in half if Americans followed the recommendations for early detection.

Colon cancer testing can find and remove polyps before they turn into cancer, preventing the disease from ever occurring. Even if cancer is found, when detected early, colon cancer has a 90 percent survival rate. Unfortunately, only 39 percent of colon cancers are detected at this stage.

“Many people 50 and older do not know they are at risk for colon cancer and need to be tested,” said Satish Sondhi, MD, Gastroenterologist at Mercy – North Iowa . “If we can get people to recognize that colon cancer testing is as important as the Pap test and the mammogram, we will have tremendous opportunity to save thousands of lives through the prevention and early detection of colon cancer.”

If you are age 50 or older, even if you have no family history of the disease, you are at risk for colon cancer and should ask your physician about getting tested or pick up a free kit. For more information about colorectal screenings, call Mercy Cancer Center  and speak to the Colon Cancer Case Manager, Lisa Baltierra at 1.800.433.3883 ext. 7024 or 641.422.7024.