Colon cancer screening can be a lifesaver--and make you some additional cash!

Colon cancer begins in the large intestine, the final part of the digestive tract.  Typically it affects older adults, although it can happen at any age. It usually begins as small, noncancerous (benign) clumps of cells called polyps that form on the inside of the colon. Over time some of these polyps can become colon cancers.

As an incentive for senior citizens in the Southern Tier to get screened, it’s possible to earn money by signing up for a colorectal cancer screening research study that is being conducted at UHS Hospitals.  Subjects age 55 and older who have not had a previous colonoscopy are eligible for the study.  Those who have already had a colonoscopy at any time are no longer eligible.  What’s more, you could potentially earn up to $575 if you complete all four steps in the process.

If colon cancer develops, many treatments are available to help control it, including surgery, radiation therapy and drug treatments, such as chemotherapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy.  It often is a very treatable and survivable cancer, if diagnosed and addressed early.  Colon cancer is sometimes called colorectal cancer, a term that combines colon cancer and rectal cancer, which begins in the rectum.  One of your best defenses against this type of cancer is to be screened at regular intervals as recommended by your healthcare provider. 

This often will include having a colonoscopy, an outpatient procedure at a hospital in which your large bowel (colon and rectum) is examined.  Your gastroenterologist can perform the procedure to diagnose and treat, when possible, certain diseases of the lower gastrointestinal (GI) tract, which includes the rectum and colon.  A colonoscopy may be used to screen for colon cancer and evaluate other potential problems.

“There are several parts of the research study being conducted at UHS Hospitals,” said Terri Peters, RN, research program manager with UHS Hospitals’ Office of Clinical Trials.  “It can be a great way for people to get their screening done and earn a little cash at the same time.”

After signing up, each participant will receive a free Cologuard home test kit, then go to UHS Hospitals for a colonoscopy, the cost of which will be billed to the patient’s health insurance.  They can also take an optional blood test free of charge.  The participant will receive $100 for signing up, $75 for sending in the Cologuard test, $100 for the blood sample and $300 for doing the colonoscopy at the hospital.

To learn more or register, contact Ms. Peters at the UHS Hospitals Office of Clinical Trials, 33-57 Harrison St., Johnson City, 13790; phone 607-763-5697.