March is Colorectal Cancer Month and the Regional Cancer Partnership of Illinois (RCPIL) has organized its annual colorectal cancer screening program which includes the distribution of screening kits in several central Illinois locations.
The home screening kits will be available three times in Springfield as well as Lincoln, Litchfield, Jacksonville and Quincy. For two of the times in Springfield, area residents can pick up test kits without having to leave their vehicles.
After completing the screening at home, individuals will mail back their kit to learn if they might be at risk for colorectal cancer. Participants will be asked to fill out a short questionnaire and consent form.
The Springfield locations, dates and contacts for the agencies and hospitals involved with the free screenings are:
For information about the Springfield events, contact Celeste Wiley, 217-757-7684 weekdays.
Funding for this project and publication was made possible through monies received from the Illinois Department of Public Health. The screening kits do not substitute for a colonoscopy, the best method to detect colorectal cancer.
Regularly scheduled screening can prevent cancer from developing if precancerous polyps are detected and removed before they become cancer, this requires a colonoscopy. Regular screenings can also find cancer in its earliest stages, when it can be treated.
