Fast, Easy At-Home Colon Cancer Screening
The Importance of Colon Cancer Screening
Colon cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer, and the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. Colon cancer affects men and women equally, all age groups and nationalities, but there are some risk factors for the disease, including:
- Aging: the risk for polyps (or growths) increases as we age, especially over the age of 50
- A family history of polyps or of colon cancer
- Obesity
- Smoking
- A high-fat diet
- Alcohol consumption
Don’t wait for symptoms to occur to get screened for colon cancer. Those with average risk and no family history should begin screening at the age of 50. A family history of polyps or colon cancer means screening should start ten years before a loved one was diagnosed, or a polyp was found. Every patient is different. Please talk with your doctors about your health history to determine when colon cancer screening should begin for you.
At-Home Testing Kits Available to You!
Lowell Community Health Center provides at-home colon cancer screening kits, called FIT kits. Schedule an appointment with your Lowell CHC primary care provider, request a colon cancer screening, and we will give or mail you a kit, along with easy instructions on how to use the kit and where to mail it when you are done. Most insurance will cover 100 percent of the cost.
