Free colon cancer screening kits offered

    Free fecal occult blood test (FOBT) kits are available at the Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department’s (SWNPHD) McCook office to screen for colorectal cancer.
    They are also available by mail once the screening form has been completed and sent back to SWNPHD. Screening forms are available on the SWNPHD website.
     Screening tests are used to look for colorectal cancer when a person does not have any symptoms.
    “The test kits are for anyone ages 45-75,” said SWNPHD Health Educator Amanda Ebert, RN.
    “Follow the enclosed directions on the kit and then mail the kit in the enclosed envelope to the lab for testing. Test results will be mailed back to you,” she said.
     Colorectal cancer is the second deadliest form of cancer in the U.S. affecting both men and women. According to the Centers 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 age 50 and older.
    Approximately one in 23 men and one in 25 women will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer in their lifetime.
    Undergoing screening can stop cancer before it starts or identify it early enough to provide the best prognosis for recovery, Ebert said.
     Risk factors for colorectal cancer include:
    Men and women over the age of 50
    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.
     For more information on the free kits and all programs at SWNPHD, visit their website at: www.swhealth.ne.gov.