Colorectal screening kits offered by Doylestown Health to underinsured
Doylestown Hospital's Health and Wellness Center will offer free colon cancer screening kits for uninsured and underinsured individuals age 45 and older to mark Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.
Fecal immunochemical test (FIT) kits that people can complete in their own homes will be distributed following a presentation on colorectal cancer screening and prevention at the center at 5:30 p.m. March 30 by doctors Marion Protano and Hannah Do, gastroenterologists for Doylestown Health.
Who qualifies for a kit?
"The test does not diagnose cancer but signals that something could be going on and additional testing is needed to make sure everything is OK. This screening is intended for those 45-plus years who are uninsured or underinsured and have not had a screening within the last two years," said hospital Vice President Laura Wortman. The kit distribution is not intended for individuals currently under the care of a gastroenterologist.
Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in both men and women in the United States.
A preventable and treatable disease
"Colon cancer is preventable, treatable and beatable," said Protano. "Death from colon cancer is on the rise in young to middle aged people which is why guidelines have changed the screening age to start at 45 if you have no risk factors. It is important you talk to your doctor about colon cancer screening options and when the appropriate time is for you to start colon cancer screening to decrease your risk of developing it."
The Health and Wellness Center is located on the ground floor of 847 Easton Road in Warrington. Registration is required and space is limited. To register, call 267-885-1580.
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Doylestown Health doctors to discuss colorectal cancer, screening kits
