March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.
Yale Medicine doctors warn that people as young as age 20 need to be aware of the warning signs of colorectal cancer. In early 2023, the American Cancer Society (ACS) reported that 20% of diagnoses in 2019 were in patients under age 55, which is about double the rate in 1995, and rates of advanced disease increased by about 3% annually in people younger than 50.
Jacksonville Memorial Hospital along with Memorial Health are once again coming together with the Regional Cancer Partnership, which includes Memorial Health, SIU School of Medicine, Springfield Clinic, and HSHS St. John’s Hospital in distributing free take-home screening tests for colon cancer.
JMH will hold drive-thru events Tuesday, March 11th, from 9 to 11 a.m. and Wednesday, March 12th, from 4 to 6 p.m. in their front circle drive at 1600 West Walnut Avenue.
Drivers should follow the signs and remain in their cars. Completed kits should be mailed back in the provided, postage-paid envelope within 10 days of kit pickup. Individuals will receive a letter informing them of their results.
Take-home colorectal cancer screenings are recommended for individuals 45 years old and older, but anyone 18 and older is welcome.
For more information about the kit distribution, call 447-784-3212.