Free home screening test kits for colorectal cancer will be available at Simmons Cancer Institute’s lobby 315 W. Carpenter Street in Springfield on March 20 from 2-4:30 pm. Those 50 and older are required to sign a consent from.  After completing the kit at home, individuals will mail it back in a provided pre-addressed envelope. Individuals will receive a letter notifying them of their results. Testing and processing is done in collaboration with the Regional Cancer Partnership of Illinois (RCPIL) and the Sangamon County Department of Public Health.
Though the kits are not specific tests for colon cancer, they can detect the presence of blood, which can be an indicator of several different medical conditions.
The screening kit does not substitute for a colonoscopy, the best method to detect colorectal cancer. Regularly scheduled screenings in the form of colonoscopies can prevent cancer from developing if precancerous polyps are detected and removed before they become cancer. Regular screenings can also find cancer in its earliest stages when it can be treated.
SIU School of Medicine’s Department of Surgery and Simmons Cancer Institute (SCI) physicians will also provide information on the prevention, early detection and treatment of colorectal cancer from 5:30-6:30 pm on Tuesday, March 24, at SCI. Dr. Jan Rakinic and Dr. Prasad Poola will lead the discussion to raise awareness of colorectal cancer. A registered dietician will also be on hand to provide information regarding healthy eating, which is proven to reduce the risk of cancer.