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Goderich Signal Star, 2017-03-08, Page 9"Getting screened for colon cancer saved my life!" A colon cancer survivor shares his story and encourages men and women to get screened. March is Colon Cancer Awareness Month and the South West Regional Cancer Program is encouraging resi- dents In the South West to get checked with a safe and painless take-home test. Waren caught early, nine out of every 10 people with colon cancer can he cured. Colon cancer (cornnlr,nly called 'colorectal cancer' or 'bowel cancer') is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in Ontario and the second most common cause of cancer deaths. It is esti- mated that in 2016, approxi- mately 9,900 Ontarianswere diagnosed with colon cancer and approximately 3,200 Ontarians died from the ease. In the South West, 278 ) people were treated for - colon cancer:last year. Cancer Care Ontario recom- mends that men and women at average risk between the ages of 50 and 74 get checked for colon cancer %lib a fecal occult blood test (POET) every two years. The VOW is a safe and painless cancer screening test that checks a person's stool (poop). for tiny drops of blood, which could be caused by colon can- cer. An abnormal PORT result does not necessarily mean that a person has colon cancer, but more testing with a colonos- copy is needed to find out why there is blood in their stool, "I'll be honest - people don't generally get excited about taking an POET test, quips Dr. Jan Owen, Regional Primary Care Lead for the Muth West Reglonal:Cancer Pr . tum. "I know Ws easter to let collection kit accumu- late dust on your bathroom counter, but the reality is it could help save your life." Paul VanBilsen knows a thing or two about POET kits collecting dust. He left his under the bathroom sink for eight years. An POST kit was in Paul's hands well before he hit age 50, A family member wa,s diagnosed with colon cancer just a few years earlier and hitt doctor wanted hits to do the test its a precaution. "Like niuuny other omen my age I put it off," he says, "It wasn't until. last Summer when niy doctor put another test in my hands that I finally decided to 'take tare of busing. Paul was 51 when he was diagnosed with and treated for stage one colon cancer. One canceled summer vacation later and surgery to remove the cancerous tumour, he is cancer - free but will continue to have follow-up scopes to ensure no new cancer develops. "ttnfortunately, Paul's story isn't uncommon," says lan. "'phis makes it more important than ever to encourage the men and women in your life to get checked for this disease begin- ning in their early 50s - even if they have no family history of the disease or if they don't have any uncomfortable symptom, such as persistent diarrhea or stomach pain" Research shows that regu- lar screening using an FOBT, for people who are 50 years of age and older, can reduce deaths from colon cancer if colon cancer is caught after it has spread to other parts of the body, treating it is harder and less likely to be success- ful, Por people whose colon cancer has spread, as few as_ one out of eight will be cured. "Many people don't realize that colon cancer maybe pre- sent in the body for a long time before it causes physic a1 symptoms.'I he role ofscren ing is to catch cancer early because it is highly treatable at that stage, reminds Jan. "Por people over 50, getting checked regularly can Employe their_ chances of beat- ing colon cancer. Men between the ages of 55 and 65 would particularly benefit from gge�tting checked." Colon cancer can develop when growths on the lining of the colon, called polyps, ttirn into cancer over time. People between 50 and 74 yew of awe without a pstretll, hrother,' i,,ier or child who has been diag- nosed with cellon cancer are considered to he at average risk for the disease and should get (Necked every two years with the safe and painless take- home test, called the MEM Some people who have had polyps removed from their colon, as well as people with inflammatory bowel disease (Le., Crohn's disease or ulcera- tive colitis), niay be at it risk for c tevelc ►pi r lk c clot 1 cat icer and may need to bechecked regularly with colonoscopy instead of an FO1 l: • For l'atul, the message. is simple. "Take care of birsi= ness and corniplete the x0131' kit," he says. "If 1 had done it sooner, 1 may not have needed surgery. if I waited longer, things could have been a lot worse. Your life is precious - take care of it!" Talk to your healthcare provider today about getting checked for colon cancer with a take-home I.OF3'i' kit. People without a family doc- tor or nurse practitioner can get a kit through Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-828-9213, community pharmacies and mobile screening coache,,. For more information 0011 colon cancer screening ir1 Ontario, visit caner rcare. on.ca/colon. South West Regional Cancer Program oversees the delivery and quality of cancer services for the coun- ties of Grey, Bruce, Ifuron, Perth, Middlesex, Oxford, Elgin, and part of Norfolk. It is one of 1 3 Regional Cancer Programs created by Cancer Care Ontario in 2005 to ensure cancer care is deliv- eyed according toprovince wide quality standards. Dr, fan Owen and Paul VanBilsen are available for interviews. For more infer motion and to arrange an. Interview, please contacts Krista redoes • • South West Regional Can- cer Program ' Marketing Si Communications 519-685-8500 ext. 71826 Cell: 226-268-2611 Krista. Peddeslhsc.on.ca Wednesday, March 8, 2017 • Signal Star 9 Berea Lutheran Church serves record number at Pancake Supper Berea by the water Lutheran Church Shrove Tuesday supper on February 28. Pictured here from left to right, John Schilbe, Brian Hamp, Jerry Sabo, and Kevin Ball. A total of 208 people were served, which is a record in the all -you -can -eat pancake/sausage/dessert/ beverage meal. RFAIRC 32 West Street, Goderich Land Exchange Ltd, Brokerage 519=5241900 indtcandantly ONrrird and Operatsd Check Out Our New Website "FOR MOST LOCAL AND ONTARIO LISTINGS" Mark McDougall Sales Repretentative Cell: 519-955-2522 Renate Sieber - Schlegel 8 oker of Record Cell: 519-531-1177 Amanda McClenaghan Sales Representative Cell: 519-525-8600 u . . ' ' tie Yeas ,• 464 L - 0!4 56060 COUNTRY CHARM -12A ACRES! 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