Auxiliary fights against colorectal cancer

The Franklin Hospital Auxiliary has added another task to a plate that is already overflowing with community action projects.
At its regular meeting on Monday morning, the group voted to join the "80% by 2018" campaign, signing the pledge to help bring awareness and testing for colorectal cancer. The pledge is a national initiative sponsored by both the American Cancer Society and the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable. The goal is screen 80 percent of American adults by 2018.
According to the NCCR, colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death and affects more than 135,000 adults each year. The NCCR states "colorectal cancer can be detected early at a curable stage and prevented through the detection and removal of precancerous polyps."
Equal access to care is a major stumbling block in eliminating this health threat. Franklin Hospital hopes to close that gap by offering free screening kits.
"Franklin Hospital is concerned about your health," said Judy Courter, laboratory director and auxiliary member. "We are offering this test at no cost for our community."
Courter said the American Cancer Society recommends that adults should start regular colon cancer screening at age 50.
"Most people who get colon cancer have no family history of the disease," she said. "You can have it and not even know it."
Courter said that statistics provided by the American Cancer Society suggest that Illinois alone will see more than 6,000 new cases of colon cancer this year, and an estimated 2,200 will die from the disease.
"This is entirely preventable," Courter said.
On Friday, Franklin Hospital will be handing out free colon cancer screening kits from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. Courter said volunteers from the hospital will be stationed in front of the building under the canopy to distribute the tests in a "drive-thru" fashion.
"We're trying to make it easy," she said. "You don't even have to leave your vehicle."
Registration is not necessary. The completed test kit can be dropped off in the hospital lobby in a designated box. The test results will be sent to the patient after testing is completed.
This free testing is sponsored by the American Cancer Society and open to the general public.