CARTHAGE, MO.--- Mercy Mccune Brooks Hospital is offering free at home colorectal screening kits to test for cancer this month. The kits come with all of the materials you would need to collect an at-home sample.
Once patients bring the sample back to the hospital, it will be lab tested free of charge. Nurses say it's National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month and they hope providing free screenings will motivate people to be more conscious of their health.
"Probably the most curable cancer there is, if it's caught early while it's in a small polyp form. You can remove the polyp and you're pretty much done. If it grows to the size of a tumor, then you're talking surgery. So, we want to catch it early," said Kelli Walker, Registered Nurse, Mercy.
Nurses say colorectal cancer screenings are especially important for those over the age of 50, and anyone who has had a family history of the disease. The kits can be picked up at Mercy Mccune-Brooks Hospital in Carthage. All screening samples must be collected by April 8th.
Once patients bring the sample back to the hospital, it will be lab tested free of charge. Nurses say it's National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month and they hope providing free screenings will motivate people to be more conscious of their health.
"Probably the most curable cancer there is, if it's caught early while it's in a small polyp form. You can remove the polyp and you're pretty much done. If it grows to the size of a tumor, then you're talking surgery. So, we want to catch it early," said Kelli Walker, Registered Nurse, Mercy.
Nurses say colorectal cancer screenings are especially important for those over the age of 50, and anyone who has had a family history of the disease. The kits can be picked up at Mercy Mccune-Brooks Hospital in Carthage. All screening samples must be collected by April 8th.
