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Get the test, and pass the law |
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To the editor:
March is the American Cancer Society’s Colon Cancer Awareness Month and our organization has been encouraging men and women over the age of 50 to get screened for this highly preventable disease.
If caught early enough, the survival rate for those diagnosed with colon cancer in Minnesota is more than 90 percent, but less than half of all colon cancers are diagnosed in this stage.
During screening, the physician can detect a polyp and remove it. If it is not removed, the polyp may become cancerous.
Access to screening is still a hurdle for the uninsured and underinsured. To increase access, the Colorectal Cancer Prevention and Treatment Act authored by Sen. Kathy Sheran of Mankato was heard March 5 in the Senate Health Committee. Rep. Maria Ruud, Minnetonka, is sponsoring it in the House of Representatives and we expect a hearing there later this month.
Please contact your state legislator to help create a groundswell of support for the Colorectal Cancer Prevention and Treatment Act.
You can also help get more people screened right now by asking everyone you know who is 50 or older if they’ve had their colon cancer screening test. Remember, colon cancer screening saves lives, so “Get the Test. Get the Polyp. Get the Cure.”
For more information, please contact the American Cancer Society at 1-800-227-2345 or log on to www.cancer.org.
Maribeth Swenty Woodford
American Cancer Society Minnesota Vice President
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