Colon Cancer

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cancer killer of cancers affecting both men and women. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention your risk of getting colorectal cancer increases as you get older, with more than 90% of cases occurring in people aged 45 or older.

 

Risk Factors for Colorectal Cancer:

• Inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.
• A family history of colorectal cancer or colorectal polyps.
• Obesity, alcohol consumption and tobacco use.

What can you do to prevent?

• Get screened for colon cancer regularly.
• Eat lots of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.
• Get regular exercise in throughout your day.
• Take control of your weight.
• Don’t smoke/avoid alcohol.

Where can you get tested?

• You can go to your local doctor’s office, and they will provide you with 3 choices
  • Flexible sigmoidoscopy - Doctor uses short-thin-flexible-light up tube to check lower 3rd part of colon for polyps or cancer. (Test should be performed every 5 years or 10 years with a FITT test annually).
  • Colonoscopy - Doctor uses longer-thin-light up-flexible tube to check for polyps or cancer inside the entire colon. (Test should be performed every 10 years).
  • CT Colonography - Uses x-rays and computer to produce images of the entire colon displayed on computer screen for the doctor to analyze. (Test should be performed every 5 years).


• At home test kits.
  • FOBT Kit - Uses the chemical guaiac to detect the blood. (Test should be performed annually).
  • FIT Kits - Uses antibodies to detect the blood in the stool. (Test should be performed annually).
  • FITT DNA test - Combines the FITT test with a test that detects altered DNA in the stool. (Test should be performed once every 3 years).

 

 

Finding the signs of colon cancer early saves lives and we are committed to early detection by supplying colon cancer (FIT) screening kits FREE of charge. Our  FREE colon cancer (FIT) screening kits are available to residents 45-74 years of age. Test kits can be picked up at our offices in McCook and Ogallala or can be requested online. To have a colon cancer screening kit mailed to your home, please complete the required kit form by clicking here or scanning the code below.

 

 

 

FIT KITS:

Sample Deposit

1. Place supplied collection inside the toilet bowl on top of the water.
2. Collect the stool sample on top of the collection paper.
3. select the sample from the stool before the paper sinks and the stool sample touches water.
4. collection paper is biodegradable and will not harm septic systems.

Sample collection

1. Fill in all required information on the sampling bottle, ( we need First name, last name, and D.O.B). Open the green cap by twisting and lifting.
2. Scrape the surface of the stool widely or stab it at 5-6 different points with the sample prob. Cover the grooved portion of the sample probe completely with the stool sample.
3. Close the sampling bottle by inserting the sample probe and screwing the cap tightly to the right. Do not reopen.
4. Promptly return the sampling bottle to your doctor or laboratory in the envelope provided. Please do not mail it to Polymedco. A delay may make the test invalid.

For more information, you can contact us at paula@swhealth.ne.gov or by calling 308-345-4223.

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