FLINT TOWNSHIP (WJRT) -
(03/04/13) - March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and the push is on to get thousands of Mid-Michigan residents tested.
"The American Cancer Society and McLaren Cancer Institute are teaming up to provide free test kits for anyone over the age of 50, or for anyone that may have a family history of Colorectal Cancer," said Evelyn Barella, with the American Cancer Institute.
McLaren's test kit is significantly less evasive than in the past.
"Everything you need is inside this envelope. There's a small collector. You take a small sample on the end, put it inside this bag, put it back inside the stamped envelope, and send it off. It's that easy. It could save your life," said Dr. Mark Mattingly, of the McLaren Cancer Institute.
Mattingly says that when caught early enough, colon cancer is very curable. Last year, McLaren gave away more than 5,000 kits.
"We ended up with over 200 people that had positive tests, and I don't know the exact numbers of how many of those people had polyps, but it is the first step in getting additional screening," Mattingly said.
Colorectal Cancer is not a topic that most people enjoy talking about. To help lighten the mood, and to help encourage more people to get tested, the American Cancer Society is once again trotting out it's prized mascot, known as "Polyp Girl."
"People are often embarrassed about it, they find it disgusting, they don't want to speak about it in public. Polyp Girl brings Colorectal Cancer to the forefront. She allows us to talk about it," Barella. said.
Dawn Hill isn't afraid to talk about it. She's a survivor and cancer free now for four months.
"Today is my 45th birthday and I'm celebrating by raising money for the American Cancer Society today. I have a bowl-a-thon going on at Colonial Lanes in Flushing, and I thought it would be the best way to celebrate the milestone," Hill said.
Hill's advice when it comes to the test is simple.
"There's no embarrassment to it. You just do it yourself, and nobody even has to know. Just do it," Barella said.
