For the past six years, Ascension Via Christi’s Cancer Outreach and Risk Assessment program has offered colorectal screening kits, while supplies last, at no cost to anyone 45 and older. Those whose stool samples test positive for blood are followed up by a nurse navigator and, if they need and cannot afford a colonoscopy, funding is available through a grant from the Colon Cancer Coalition.
That effort will continue again this year, through grant funding from the coalition to continue these efforts.
“The screening and follow-up colonoscopy may well have been a life-saver for patients who needed it,” says Lisa Schmidt. “Colorectal cancer screening is one of the most powerful weapons we have against colorectal cancer, which is the second-leading cause of cancer death for men and women combined.”
That’s because regular screening can detect polyps so that they can be removed before they have the chance to turn into cancer, a process that can take 10 to 15 years. It also helps detect colorectal cancer at its earliest and most treatable stage.
Schmidt, who had two pre-cancerous polyps removed during her first colonoscopy more than a decade ago and has had no findings during the two she has undergone since then, says taking part in the screening is easy.
Simply call 316-268-5890 to arrange for a kit to be mailed to you. Then follow the instructions provided for collecting a stool sample and return it in the self-addressed envelope provided with the kit. If the sample tests negative, the results will be sent by mail within a few weeks. If the specimen tests positive for traces of blood, an Ascension Via Christi nurse navigator will call you to discuss your results and recommended next steps.
According to the American Cancer Society, which recommends that anyone 45 or older get tested, the five-year relative survival rate is about 90 percent when colorectal cancer is found before it has spread. But only about four out of 10 colorectal cancers are found at this early stage. When cancer has spread outside the colon or rectum, survival rates are lower.
Symptoms can include rectal bleeding or blood in stool, changes in bowel habits and changes in bowel appearance; anyone experiencing any of these should see his or her doctor.
Learn more about cancer care at Ascension Via Christi by visiting ascension.org/ViaChristiCancerCare.
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About Ascension Via Christi
In Kansas, Ascension Via Christi operates seven hospitals and 134 other sites of care and employs more than 6,400 associates. In FY2023, Ascension Via Christi provided more than $65 million in community benefit programs. In FY2023, Ascension provided $2.3 billion in care of persons living in poverty and other community benefit programs. Ascension includes more than 150,000 associates and 40,000 aligned providers. The national health system operates more than 2,600 sites of care – including 139 hospitals and more than 40 senior living facilities – in 19 states. Serving Kansas for more than 135 years, Ascension is a faith-based healthcare organization committed to delivering compassionate, personalized care to all, with special attention to persons living in poverty and those most vulnerable. Visit www.ascension.org
