EFFINGHAM, Ill. — Test anxiety is real – at school, work and especially at a clinic or hospital.
During Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month in March, HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital wants to put community members at ease by giving away at-home screening tests while highlighting that colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of cancer deaths in the United States when cases for men and women are combined, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS).
Individuals aged 45 or older, or those with an immediate family member diagnosed with colon cancer, can pick up a free InSure ONE at-home screening test March 1 through March 31. Tests can be picked from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays at the HSHS St. Anthony’s presurgical testing department. For easy access, please enter through the presurgical testing entrance on the hospital’s north side. Samples must be returned to the department by April 1. Please note this screening test is not a substitute for a colonoscopy.
This simple, easy test saves lives. Early detection is key to successful treatment of colorectal cancer, with nearly 90% of patients diagnosed at an early stage experiencing a five-year survival rate, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While colorectal cancer rates overall are on the downswing, younger generations should pay attention – diagnoses in people under age 50 increased by nearly 2.5% each year during the 10-year span from 2012 to 2021, according to the ACS.
For more information regarding this colorectal cancer screening event, contact Tammy Probst at 217-347-3563. For more information about HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital, visit stanthonyshospital.org
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About Hospital Sisters Health System
HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital, Effingham is part of Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS), a Catholic health care ministry founded in 1875. Dedicated to our Mission to reveal and embody Christ’s healing love for all people through high-quality Franciscan health care, HSHS clinicians provide exceptional care centered on the whole person. Based in Springfield, Illinois, HSHS employs more than 11,000 colleagues who provide care in 13 acute-care, children’s and critical-access hospitals and home health and hospice programs in Central and Southern Illinois and Eastern Wisconsin. HSHS is aligned with more than 1,000 primary and specialty physicians and advanced practitioners through its owned affiliates HSHS Medical Group and Prairie Cardiovascular and its partnership with Prevea Health. For more information about HSHS, visit hshs.org.