Florida Catholic | Catholic Hospital To Distribute Cancer Detection Kits

Catholic hospital to distribute kits to detect colon cancer

FLORIDA CATHOLIC STAFF REPORT

Published: 03.14.08

St. Joseph’s Woman’s Hospital will present a March 19 program on colon cancer, hemorrhoids and fissures in women. Colorectal surgeon Dr. Lori Slezak will present the program, which will take place 6-8 p.m. in the St. Joseph’s Women’s Hospital Pavilion. Registration is requested: www.stjosephswomens.com.

TAMPA | St. Joseph’s Hospital is working with a local grocery chain to distribute free kits designed to detect colorectal cancer symptoms.

When it comes to cancer, preventive measures and early detection can make the difference between survival and death. This is especially true with colorectal cancer. The free kits can’t detect cancer, but they can be used to detect issues that would require the attention of a medical professional.

“The kit will detect microscopic amounts of blood from the colon,” said Jacqueline Farruggio, St. Joseph’s Hospital media relations coordinator. “Blood is one of the signs of colorectal cancer.”

Thirty-two thousand kits will be distributed through Publix pharmacies in the Tampa Bay area. The distribution is part of St. Joseph Hospital’s participation in Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.

In the United States, colorectal cancer is the third-leading cause of cancer deaths in men and women. More than 100,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with colon cancer each year and tens of thousands die of the disease. Experts believe that number could be cut in half if Americans followed ACS screening recommendations.

“People who are over 50 have the ability to avoid developing colon cancer or to find the disease in an early stage,” says John Chaperon, president of the American Cancer Society’s Florida Division. “Testing can find polyps so they can be removed before they turn into cancer. The tests can also detect cancer in an early stage. If a cancer is found, treating it before symptoms develop dramatically increases the likelihood of a cure. When found at its earliest, most treatable stage, colon cancer has a 90 percent survival rate.”

Throughout March, the American Cancer Society is working to make people aware that colorectal cancer, commonly called colon cancer, is largely preventable. The organization is encouraging men and women age 50 and over to be screened for colon cancer through a colonoscopy.

Age is the primary risk factor in colon cancer cases and incidence of the disease increases significantly by the age of 50. African-Americans have the highest incidence and death rate from colon cancer of any racial or ethnic group in the United States. Colon cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in both Hispanic/Latino men and women.

According to the American Cancer Society, those who have a history of colon cancer in their families should get tested at age 40, and African-Americans should begin screenings at age 45. Although colonoscopy is not 100 percent accurate, it remains the best screening modality available — provided the examiner performs the best exam and the patient has the best bowel preparation. In addition to offering testing kits, St. Joseph’s Woman’s Hospital will present a March 19 program on colon cancer, hemorrhoids and fissures in women. Colorectal surgeon Dr. Lori Slezak will present the program, which will take place 6-8 p.m. in the St. Joseph’s Women’s Hospital Pavilion. Registration is requested: www.stjosephswomens.com.

Information from the American Cancer Society and St. Joseph’s Hospital was used in this report.

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Catholic hospital to distribute kits to detect colon cancer

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