Needy Grimes County residents can now get tested for the 2nd most prevalent deadly cancer in America, thanks to a new health grant that the Texas A&M Health Science Center received.
The center’s Janet Heldoozer tells Navasota News, while testing for colon cancer in one-quarter of the participants in its screenings, it found and removed polyps that could have turned into cancer over the years, and successfully diagnosed colon cancer in 1% of it’s patients. And she is happy to report that each of those patients is on the mend.
But, if those statistics still have you worried, Heldoozer says, colon cancer is also one of the most preventable kinds of cancer by eating healthy, maintaining a healthy weight and being physically active.
If you are 50-years-old, you should take this precaution and get screened every 10 years after that, she continues. But if you have a history of colon cancer in your family, she recommends checking every five years, because people can have colon cancer without any symptoms.
For more information or to see if you qualify for the program call 979-436-0443.