Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, St. Elizabeth Hospital Offer Free Screening at WalMart
March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
(Gonzales)- March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month: the type of cancer people are often too embarrassed to talk about. Colorectal cancer, or cancer of the colon or rectum, is the third most common cancer killer in men and women. Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center and St. Elizabeth Hospital are partnering to change that.
On Tuesday, March 23, from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. at WalMart, 308 North Airline Hwy., Gonzales, staff members from both Mary Bird Perkins and St. Elizabeth will be distributing free take-home kits that test for occult, or hidden, blood in the stool. Because colorectal cancer starts with benign polyps that often bleed, the FOBT (fecal occult blood test) checks for the presence of hidden blood. Colorectal cancer usually causes no symptoms in its early stages, making screening vitally important. If you are seeing bright red blood with your bowel movements, you should go directly to your doctor.
The primary risk factor for colorectal cancer is age. More than 90 percent of cases are diagnosed in individuals older than 50. Fifty is the recommended age to begin colorectal cancer screening, unless there is a family history, in which case you should start earlier. Check with your family doctor for the most appropriate screening option for your age and medical history.
The take-home kit, which must be picked up by the user, is not a substitute for a colonoscopy but is just one form of colorectal cancer screening. The gold standard for colorectal cancer screening is the colonoscopy.
About Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center
Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center has been fighting cancer for over 35 years with locations in Baton Rouge, Covington, Hammond, Houma and Gonzales. It has comprehensive cancer programs with Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge and St. Tammany Parish Hospital in Covington. These programs are accredited by the American College of Surgeons - the gold standard for community-based cancer care. For more information visit www.marybird.org.
About St. Elizabeth Hospital
Sponsorship by the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System (FMOLHS) has provided the means to expand and upgrade St. Elizabeth Hospital to meet the needs of the growing area it serves. A 95-bed community hospital with 400+ team members and 100 physicians on staff, St. Elizabeth is one of four FMOLHS hospitals, including Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge, St. Francis Medical Center in Monroe and Our Lady of Lourdes in Lafayette.
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