HSHS St. Francis Hospital will provide free at-home colon cancer screening tests throughout March, coinciding with Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. The initiative aims to make screening more accessible and raise awareness about the prevalence of colorectal cancer, which is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States for both men and women combined, according to data from the American Cancer Society.
Adults aged 45 or older, as well as those with an immediate family history of colon cancer, can receive a complimentary InSure ONE at-home test kit along with instructions. Kits are available weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., March 1 through March 31, at the fourth-floor oncology department of St. Francis Hospital located at 1215 Franciscan Dr., while supplies last. Participants are required to return their samples to the lab desk by April 1. The hospital notes that this screening method does not replace a colonoscopy.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that early detection significantly improves outcomes for colorectal cancer patients; nearly 90% of those diagnosed at an early stage survive five years or more. While overall death rates have declined over the past decade due to better screening and treatments, mortality rates among adults under age 55 have increased by about one percent annually since the mid-2000s, according to the American Cancer Society.
For further details on this event, individuals may call 217-324-8634 or visit stfrancis-litchfield.org.
