Mesquite Cancer Help Society Fighting Cancer in the Greater Virgin Valley Area

Cancer-related Checkup

Colon and Rectal Cancer

Beginning at age 50, both men and women at average risk for developing colorectal cancer should use one of the screening tests below. The tests that are designed to find both early cancer and polyps are preferred if these tests are available to you and you are willing to have one of these more invasive tests. Talk to your doctor about which test is best for you.

Tests that find polyps and cancer:

• flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years*
• colonoscopy every 10 years
• double contrast barium enema every 5 years*
• CT colonography (virtual colonoscopy) every 5 years*

Tests that mainly find cancer

• fecal occult blood test (FOBT) every year*,**
• fecal immunochemical test (FIT) every year*,**
• stool DNA test (sDNA), interval uncertain*

*Colonoscopy should be done if test results are positive.
**For FOBT or FIT used as a screening test, the take-home multiple sample method should be used. A FOBT or FIT done during a digital rectal exam in the doctor's office is not adequate for screening.

People should talk to their doctor about starting colorectal cancer screening earlier and/or being screened more often if they have any of the following colorectal cancer risk factors:

• a personal history of colorectal cancer or adenomatous polyps
• a personal history of chronic inflammatory bowel disease (Crohns disease or ulcerative colitis)
• a strong family history of colorectal cancer or polyps (cancer or polyps in a first-degree relative [parent, sibling, or child] younger than 60 or in 2 or more first-degree relatives of any age)
• a known family history of hereditary colorectal cancer syndromes such as familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) or hereditary non-polyposis colon cancer (HNPCC)

Donations

Donations are what keep Mesquite Cancer HELP Society going. The cancer society relies solely on the generosity of businesses, personal, and event donations. Neither state nor Federal grants have yet to be made available for the specific services that the MCHS provides.

Much too often cancer patients are left devastated having depleted their savings in exchange for survival. “We step up to the plate helping patients who, without MCHS would not be able to afford transportation, fuel, prescriptions, oncology visits to their chemo-therapy and radiation doctors/surgeons,” says Lorraine Scharff, office manager. Many have lost their jobs and in turn are not able to pay their bills. The demands of this disease put their lives in limbo were they are not able to do anything but focus on their fight for survival.

Members of the board and every office volunteer at MCHS are cancer survivors. “We empathize, and stand united in our fight to make sure patients receive what assistance they require to beat a disease that does not discriminate nor sleep“, say the Board of Directors.

You can mail your tax-deductible donation to:

Mesquite Cancer HELP Society
PO Box 1416
Mesquite, NV 89024

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