GIANT Interactive Colon Exhibit to Debut at Health Fair During Colon Cancer Awareness Month

West Jefferson Medical Center celebrates Colon Cancer Awareness Month with a FREE, walk-through exhibit of the Colon. The giant inflatable colon will be featured during our Colon Cancer Awareness Health Fair on Wednesday, March 27, 2013 from 5:30pm - 7:30pm in the hospital’s Fonseca Auditorium. Light refreshments will be served.

Guided tours led by nurses of the 10-ft tall and 20-ft long colon exhibit will show the public what normal colon tissue looks like compared to advanced colon cancer, what a polyp looks like and how it can become malignant, as well as other diseases that can affect the colon.

The health fair will creatively underscore the 10 best ways to prevent colon cancer. At 6pm, gastroenterologist Steve Venturatos, MD will explain during a brief talk that colon cancer is one of the most preventable cancers, thanks to colonoscopy screenings. Unlike a mammogram or a test for prostatespecific antigen (PSA), a colonoscopy can even be considered a form of prevention, since it enables the doctor to get rid of polyps before they become malignant. And yet fewer than half of people who should be screened—those ages 50 and older at average risk—are getting either a colonoscopy or one of the other highly recommended tests for colorectal cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. Venturatos will also explain how the screenings work and what to do if you’re diagnosed with colon cancer. Come hear the potentially lifesaving information.

Visitors will be given a bingo card to encourage them to visit each of the 10 stations explaining colon cancer prevention. Once they receive a stamp from each station, they will be eligible to win one the following 3 door prizes: a Drew Brees Signed Saints cap, a month-free pass to the West Jeff Fitness Centers and a gift basket filled with surprise goodies including lunch for two at Café Hope.

Open to the public, scout troops with leaders welcomed. To attend the Colon Cancer Awareness Health Fair, please RVSP by calling 504-349-1789 or sign up online at www.wjmc.org/colon.