The Big Colon

Colon Cancer Awareness Resource Fair

• By Suzanna Cisneros
• April 6, 2017

The Big Colon, a 10-foot interactive colon will be available for the community to tour from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday (April 7) at the Texas Tech Physicians Medical Pavilion located at 3601 Fourth St., first floor. Information about early warning signs of colon cancer and colon cancer prevention will be provided by Texas Tech Physicians – Internal Medicine, WOW!, American Cancer Society and ACCION.

Excluding skin cancers, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in both men and women in the United States. The American Cancer Society’s estimates for the number of colorectal cancer cases in the United States for 2017 are 95,520 new cases of colon cancer and 39,910 new cases of rectal cancer.

Symptoms of colon cancer can include:

• A change in bowel habits, such as diarrhea, constipation, or narrowing of the stool, that lasts for more than a few days
• A feeling that you need to have a bowel movement that is not relieved by doing so
• Rectal bleeding
• Dark stools, or blood in the stool
• Cramping or abdominal (belly) pain
• Weakness and fatigue
• Unintended weight loss

 

Fred Hardwicke, M.D., an oncologist at Texas Tech Physicians – Internal Medicine, said early screening may have contributed to the colorectal cancer death rate dropping.

“Early detection is critical and with screenings colorectal polyps can be found and removed before they can develop into cancers,” Hardwicke said. “If the cancer is found in the early stages, the disease is easier to treat.”

For more information about the Colon Resource Fair, email allison.kerin@ttuhsc.edu or call (806) 743-6462.