Baptist Health Lexington Hosts Colon Cancer Awareness Fair

LEXINGTON, Ky. – To mark Colon Cancer Awareness Month, Baptist Health Lexington organized a Colon Cancer Awareness and Community Screening Health Fair over the weekend. Through this initiative, the hospital aims to emphasize the critical importance of early detection of colon cancer.

Dr. Lee Hicks, the Medical Director of Medical Oncology and Infusion Services at Baptist Health Lexington, expressed the paramount importance of colon cancer screenings, stating, “Get a colon cancer screening. It saves your life.”

Promoting Early Detection

As part of the event, Baptist Health Lexington invited medical experts to help people expand their knowledge about the disease and the potential lifesaving impact of early detection. “When you do the screenings appropriately, the vast majority of people catch their cancer at a very early stage that oftentimes can be treated with minimally invasive techniques,” added Dr. Hicks.

Community Involvement

Lexington community members, including local church congregations, arrived at the STEAM Academy to be part of the health fair. For some attendees, the message of the fair held personal significance. Rev. Willis Polk of Imani Baptist Church shared his experience: “If I hadn’t had that screening and they had not detected that polyp in me, it had already been in there nearly 5 years, it would have soon turned cancerous.”

Raise Awareness and Encourage Screenings

While regular screenings for colon cancer are generally recommended from the age of 45, the disease can affect individuals of all ages. Those with a family history of colon cancer are advised to commence testing five years earlier than the age of the youngest family member diagnosed with the disease.

Yvonne Skinner, an attendee, spoke about how her mother’s experience motivated her to get screened: “I went and got it done because of my mom. That was my initial push. If she could do it, I could do it. I was one of those ones who was just putting it off.”

Urgency in Kentucky

Despite its importance, awareness of daily bodily changes and symptoms shouldn’t be dismissed. Dr. Hicks emphasized, “Don’t just say ‘well I’m not 45 [years old] yet’, listen to your body, it usually is pretty good at talking to you.”

Colon cancer incidence is higher in the state of Kentucky than anywhere else in the United States. Baptist Health Lexington stresses that this makes the drive towards prevention, early detection, and treatment incredibly crucial for citizens.

Continuing Awareness Initiatives

The Colon Cancer Awareness and Community Screening Health Fair serves as an excellent initiative by Baptist Health Lexington to highlight the seriousness of this condition while actively promoting early detection efforts. The hope is that such efforts will result in potentially saving lives and significantly improving health outcomes for individuals across Kentucky and beyond.