Commonwealth Health Volunteers Lead Colorectal Cancer Awareness Campaign

3/21/2017

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. (March 27, 2017) – Employees of Commonwealth Health are volunteering their time to raise awareness about the importance of routine colon screening and to encourage local residents to schedule a colonoscopy.

The inaugural “Don’t Be the 1 in 3” campaign is based on the estimate that one in three persons is not up to date with a recommended colonoscopy schedule.

On March 30, volunteers from Commonwealth Health’s six hospitals and affiliated sites will call patients who are behind in their scheduled colon screening. They will offer reminders of the importance of regular screening and will help schedule the procedure. March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.

“We are happy to provide this service to our community and we hope that the people we reach as well as others who may hear about this, heed the message and schedule a colonoscopy,” Cor Catena, CEO of Commonwealth Health, said. “Colorectal cancer is a preventable disease if you stay on schedule for this routine screening. Hopefully, our attempt at bringing awareness to the need for a colonoscopy will eventually become as successful as our annual mammothon.”

The effort is similar to the annual Mammothon conducted by Commonwealth Health. Last October, 131 volunteers made 5,164 calls to women who were past due for their annual mammograms, scheduling 781 screenings.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends men and women undergo their first colonoscopy at age 50 and repeat the procedure every 10 years. Persons with a family history of colorectal cancer or who are otherwise at risk for developing the disease may be advised to have more frequent screenings.

Colorectal cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States and the third most common cancer in men and in women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Locally, there were 2,305 cases of colorectal cancer from 2009-13, according to the Northeast Regional Cancer Institute.

During a colonoscopy, a physician uses a flexible, lighted tube called a colonoscope to look at the interior walls of the rectum and colon.