Effingham, IL-(Effingham Radio)- Colon cancer screening just got easier.
During Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month in March, HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital is giving away at-home screening tests while highlighting that colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of cancer deaths in the United States when cases for men and women are combined, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS).
Individuals aged 45 or older, or those with an immediate family member diagnosed with colon cancer, are eligible for a free InSure ONE at-home screening test with instructions March 1 through March 31.
Tests can be picked up from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays at St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital, 503 N. Maple St., in the presurgical testing department while supplies last. For easy access, please enter through the presurgical testing entrance on the hospital’s north side. Samples must be returned to the department by April 1. Please note this screening test is not a substitute for a colonoscopy.
This simple, easy test saves lives. Early detection is key to successful treatment of colorectal cancer, with nearly 90% of patients diagnosed at an early stage experiencing a five-year survival rate, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Although overall death rates have fallen during the past decade due to increased screening and improved treatments, the same does not hold true for younger adults. For people under 55, death rates have been increasing about 1% per year since the mid-2000s, according to the ACS.
For more information regarding this colorectal cancer screening event, call 217-347-1858. For more information about HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital, visit stanthonyshospital.org.
About HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital
HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital, Effingham is part of Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS), a nonprofit Catholic health care ministry founded in 1875. Dedicated to our Mission to reveal and embody Christ’s healing love for all people through high-quality Franciscan health care, HSHS clinicians provide exceptional care centered on the whole person. Based in Springfield, Illinois, HSHS colleagues provide care in 13 acute-care, children’s and critical access hospitals and home health and hospice programs in Central and Southern Illinois and Eastern Wisconsin. HSHS is aligned with primary and specialty physicians and advanced practitioners through its owned affiliates HSHS Medical Group and Prairie Cardiovascular, its partnership with Prevea Health, and with many other providers serving on medical staffs. For more information about HSHS, visit hshs.org.
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