Heartland Cancer Center (HCC) is offering a possibly life-saving service during three weeks in March, which is Colon Cancer Awareness Month. The service is free of charge.
HCC is providing colon cancer screening kits from March 7-25 for people ages 50-65 for use in the privacy of their own homes, Director Jamie Hutchinson explained.
The Fecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT) kits are available to anyone in this age group as long as the supply lasts at HCC, 204 Cleveland, Great Bend. CKMC’s lab will analyze the test results, also free of charge.
“We strongly encourage local residents to stop in for the free kits,” Hutchinson said. “Colon cancer is 90 percent curable if caught in the early stages and this FOBT test can help with early diagnosis and life-saving treatment.”
Hutchinson outlined several other reasons for participating in this early-detection program.
* Colon cancer is the third most common cancer to cause death.
* Treatment is very effective when colon cancer is found early.
* Polyps and colon cancer may not cause symptoms, especially at first.
* Both men and women are at risk.
* Each year, about 1,440 Kansans are diagnosed with colorectal cancer and more than 500 die of the disease.
“For all these reasons, we hope the community responds to this offering from the Heartland Cancer Center,” Hutchinson said. “It is so important to do all we can to prevent cancer. But if we can’t prevent it, we can treat it early. This test will help us do that.”
HCC is part of the Central Kansas Medical Center family.