By Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services
LINCOLN, Neb. – During the month of March, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services encourages Nebraska residents age 45 and older to get screened for colon cancer. Both men and women over the age of 45 are at increased risk, and regular preventive health screenings save lives.
As part of Colon Cancer Awareness Month, the Nebraska Colon Cancer Screening program is offering Nebraskans free Fecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) kits to screen for colon cancer in the privacy of their home. FIT kits are effective, easy to complete and take only five minutes. There are no dietary restrictions, liquids, or prep to take before the test.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), colon cancer is the fourth most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death. In Nebraska, the colon cancer incidence rate is 42.5 for males and 33.1 for females (per 100,000 residents). To put this into perspective, on football Saturday in Memorial Stadium, at least one of the individuals sitting in a row would be diagnosed with or die from colon cancer unless they prevent it with routine screening.
“Colon cancer is preventable, treatable and beatable through screening and early detection,” said Dr. Timothy Tesmer, DHHS Chief Medical Officer. “More Nebraskans are receiving colon cancer screenings than in years past, but we still have more progress to make and more lives to save. I encourage all Nebraskans over the age of 45 to get screened for colon cancer.”
To request a FREE at-home FIT Kit for colon cancer screening, visit https://bit.ly/FREEFITKit
For more information about the Nebraska Colon Cancer Screening Program, call 800-532-2227 or visit https://dhhs.ne.gov/crc.