LENOIR, NC (March 17, 2017)…According to North Carolina’s State Center for Health Statistics, cancer of the colon and rectum was the second leading cause of cancer death in North Carolina from 2008 to 2012. It is estimated that 4,633 people (2,432 males and 2,201 females) in North Carolina were diagnosed in 2015 and 1,642 people (878 males and 764 females) will have died of the disease. One in 20 people will be diagnosed with colon cancer in their lifetime. It’s a concerning statistic and one of the reasons why the North Carolina Community Health Center Association recently held a statewide event where Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program Providers helped incite awareness of colon cancer, a disease that can be prevented through screening but is still the second leading cause of overall cancer deaths in the United States.
Learn the facts on colorectal cancer and getting tested – it could save your life! The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Cancer Prevention and Control Branch, is working to reduce this number by emphasizing the important message that “Early detection matters.” When colorectal cancer is detected early, the survival rate is approximately 90 percent. Unfortunately, only 41.8 percent of colorectal cancers are found at an early stage. If you are 50 or older, do not wait for symptoms to appear. Get tested today and prevent colon cancer before it starts. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more information on colorectal cancer. http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/colorectal/
There will be an informational booth set up in the main lobby of the Human Services building (2345 Morganton BLVD SW Lenoir, NC 28645) on March 23 from 9:00-11:00 am. We will have colorectal cancer awareness and prevention information and a limited supply of free home test kits. Test kits are available at Caldwell County Health Department and Helping Hands clinic while supplies last.
Many local health departments offer education and referral services to eligible men and women. To learn more about the NC Cancer Prevention and Control Branch, visit: http://www.publichealth.nc.gov/chronicdiseaseandinjury/cancerpreventionandcontrol/index.htm or call 919-707-5300.
For more information regarding colorectal cancer education and prevention, please contact Anna Martin, MPH, Health Promotion Supervisor for Caldwell County Health Department, (828) 426-8506.