Health Information Fair To Be Held At Jersey City Medical Center In Recognition Of Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month

Colorectal cancer (cancer of the colon and rectum) is the second leading cancer killer among men and women in the U.S. (after lung cancer). More than 140,000 new cases of colon and rectal cancer were diagnosed in 2010 and more than 50,000 deaths were attributed to these cancers, according to the National Cancer Institute.

And yet, it is estimated that as many as 60 percent of these deaths could have been prevented with regular screenings.

As part of Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month in March, Jersey City Medical Center will host a health information fair in its lobby (from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.) on Wednesday, March 23. Information on screening, prevention, and diet to prevent colon and rectal cancers will be available, with physicians and nurses in the lobby to answer questions.

In addition, information will be available from the Madeline Fiadini LoRe (MFL) Foundation for Cancer Prevention, which is offering free colonoscopies at Jersey City Medical Center for uninsured patients throughout the month of March. The MFL Foundation is a non-profit organization focused on prevention through community awareness and early detection. It targets its efforts on making cancer tests available to an underserved constituency, the working poor, who may be uninsured.

“Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States and is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers,” said Dr. Nathaniel Holmes, Director of Surgery at Jersey City Medical Center, and a fellowship-trained and board certified colon and rectal surgeon. “Yet, it is estimated that as many as 60 percent of colorectal cancer deaths could be prevented if all men and women aged 50 years or older – the age where 90 percent of colorectal cancer cases occur – were screened routinely. Screening tests can find precancerous polyps and remove them before they develop into cancer. Should cancer be found, with early detection there is a 90% survival rate.”

A colonoscopy, the most commonly used test to screen for colorectal cancer, is recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force once every 10 years. It routinely takes 30 to 60 minutes, is painless and performed under local sedation, with the patient returning home the same day.

There is no cost for the health information fair and pre-registration is not necessary.