Campus News

Rural Health Center Goes Blue for Colon Cancer Awareness

of

Hazard, Ky. (March 12, 2012) – Employees of the University of Kentucky Center for Excellence in Rural Health (UK CERH) and the North Fork Valley Community Health Center invited health care neighbors from the Morton Boulevard area to take a stand in the fight against colon cancer during March, which is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.

“Our idea was to turn the medical campus into a sea of blue,” said UK CERH Director Fran Feltner.  Employees of Appalachian Regional Hospital, Hospice of the Bluegrass, ARH Cancer Center and Hazard Community and Technical College were quick to jump on board with UK to participate in the Kentucky Cancer Program’s Dress In Blue Day (March 2), an event that was started in March of 2006 by the Colon Cancer Alliance.

“Increasing colon cancer screenings is important everywhere, but it is vital to Kentuckians, particularly in Appalachia, where the rates of colon cancer deaths exceed state and national averages,” Feltner said.

In the Kentucky River Area Development District, 142 colon cancer deaths occurred between 2004 and 2008, according to the Kentucky Cancer Registry.

“This is a very troubling statistic because screening for colorectal cancer can help prevent this disease,” Feltner said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say screening can find precancerous polyps (abnormal growths), so they can be removed before they turn into cancer. Screening also finds colorectal cancer early, when treatment works best.

The Kentucky Cancer Program has free educational materials that explain colon cancer screening should begin at age 50 for people with average risk. However, anyone who has a personal or family history of colon cancer, or other problems like polyps or inflammatory bowel disease, for example, should speak with their provider about earlier screenings.

This month patients and visitors may see health care professionals wearing buttons or stickers that say, ‘Ask me why I’m, blue.’

“’Ask me why I’m blue’ is a great conversation starter and an opportunity for educating our patients and community about the importance of colon cancer screenings and healthy lifestyles to reduce colon cancer risk,” said Feltner.

According to the Kentucky Cancer Program, healthy lifestyle choices that can reduce the risk of colon cancer include:

-              A diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains;

-              At least 30 minutes of physical activity on most days;

-              Maintaining a healthy weight;

-              Not using tobacco; and

-              Avoiding alcohol, or if you do drink, limit to no more than one drink per day for women and no more than 2 drinks per day for men.

For more information contact the Hazard regional office of the Kentucky Cancer Program at (606) 487-8360, www.kycancerprogram.org or contact the UK CERH at (606) 439-3557 or, http://www.mc.uky.edu/ruralhealth/.

The UK CERH was established in 1990 to address health disparities in rural Kentucky, including a chronic shortage of health professionals and residents’ poor health status. The center accomplishes this through health professions education, health policy research, health care service and community engagement.