Colorectal cancer awareness promoted

On Friday, Oct. 4, Southern Seven Health Department and its partners, Hope Light Foundation and the University of Chicago Medicine Center for Asian Health Equity, Union County Hospital in Anna and Shawnee Community College hosted a community event, “Strollin’ Through the Colon.”

“Strollin’ Through the Colon” was presented from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday at Shawnee Community College’s Anna Extension Center.

The event featured colorectal cancer, CRC, screening; fecal immunochemical test, FIT, kits; cancer education, flu shots, free food and giveaways.

Designed not only to educate and save lives, the event presented the reason to get regular colorectal screenings in a light-hearted way that allows those who attend to walk through a 20-foot, inflatable colon.  

As part of Friday’s event, Union County Board of Commissioners chairman Max Miller read a proclamation declaring the observance of October as Southern Seven Colorectal Screening Month.

The proclamation noted that colorectal cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States among men and women combined, but there is currently no cure.

The proclamation continued:

“...one in twenty men and one in twenty-four women will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer in their lifetimes; 

“...there are hundreds of colon cancer deaths reported annually in the lower seven counties in Illinois.

“...there are now more than one million survivors of colorectal cancer in the United States; 

“...the national goal established by the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable is 80 percent of Americans ages 50 and older be screened in every community; 

“...if the majority of people in the United States age 50 or older were screened regularly for colorectal cancer, half of all cases could be prevented entirely; 

“...it’s critical that all people, of all ages, know the signs and symptoms of the disease; 

“...observing a Colorectal Cancer Screening Month in the southern seven counties of Illinois during the month of October would provide a special opportunity to offer education on the importance of early detection and screening.