KDH Providing Free Take-Home Colon Cancer Testing Kits

The kits will be available during March and must be returned by April 1.

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(Madison, Ind.) - The month of March is Colon Cancer Awareness Month, and King’s Daughters’ Health will be recognizing this month by providing free take-home DNA-based colon cancer testing kits again this year.

These testing kits are available from physicians who care for adult patients- Family Medicine and Internal Medicine providers.

KDH urges all men and women age 50-and-over to discuss appropriate screening options for the prevention and early detection of colon cancer. Individuals with a family history of colon cancer may need to begin screenings earlier. These DNA-based testing kits are designed for men and women at average risk of colon cancer. Patients should talk to their provider about whether a DNA-based kit is appropriate for them.

The kits will be available during March and must be returned by April 1 for processing. Thank the kit home, follow the directions, and then return the kit to the provider’s office. If follow-up is needed, the office will contact the patient.

Colonoscopy remains the gold standard for the early detection and prevention of colon cancer. Unless a patient’s history or risk factors suggest otherwise, men and women are encouraged to schedule a colonoscopy beginning at age 50.  During a colonoscopy, a physician can see inside the colon and remove any polys for further evaluation.

Patients needing help finding a primary care provider may call the KDH Patient Access Line at 812-801-8995.