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Woodstock General Hospital Recognizes Colon Cancer Awareness Month

Friday, 4 March 2016 14:10

Lots of people dressed in blue at the Woodstock Hospital, to show support for their Registered Nurse Flexible Sigmoidoscopy Program and for Colon Cancer Awareness Month.

WOODSTOCK - It was a sea of blue at the Woodstock Hospital this morning. Staff, physicians and volunteers sported the colour in order to raise awareness for Colon Cancer Awareness Month.

This would be the second time this hospital has showed its support for not just awareness of the disease, but for their Registered Nurse Flexible Sigmoidoscopy Program (RNFS). RN Flexible Sigmoidoscopist Freda Schaafsma tells Heart FM about the screening process.

"We're looking at the bottom half of the large bowel to see if there's any abnormalities and it there's any colon cancer or polyps."

This screening is for average risk patients, people ages 50-75 who have no family history of the cancer and show no signs of having it. It is recommended that these patients get this screening done every 5 years.

Schaafsma explains some of the other screening options available.

"You can have a whole colonoscopy, that's more so for people who have family histories. The other option is fecal occult blood test which can be done every two years."

There's also a stool test you can do right from home. You would just send a stool sample off in the mail. This test should also be done every two years.

RN Co-ordinator and Educator Chris Blum stresses the importance of early detection.

"With early screening, there's a 90% cure rate for colon cancer if we can prevent colon polyps from becoming cancers."

You can contact the RNFS program by calling 519-421-4211 with the extension 2255. You can also get a referral to the program through your family doctor.

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