Sentara partners with health systems and community organizations to increase colon cancer awareness
As part of National Minority Health Month in April, Sentara partnered with Riverside Health, the Regional Cancer Disparities Collaborative, to host the Third Annual Health Equity Panel: “Let’s Get to the Bottom of Cancer.” The purpose of the event was to educate community members on colorectal cancer, encourage screenings, and provide resources to those in need.
The American Cancer Society (ACS) reports that colorectal cancer ranks as the third most common cause of cancer-related deaths among men and the fourth among women in the United States. However, when combining data for both males and females, it becomes the second leading cause of cancer fatalities. ACS also reports that the rate of colorectal cancer diagnosis is increasing in adults under 55 years of age. Closer to home, the Hampton Roads community is considered a “hot spot” for colorectal cancer in the United States. Given its significant impact, the focus of this year's events was dedicated to colorectal cancer screening, emphasizing the critical need for increased awareness and proactive measures against this prevalent disease.
"Education and early detection are critical to keeping our families and loved ones safe and healthy," said Iris Lundy, Sentara Vice President of Health Equity, and colon cancer survivor. "Sentara is grateful to participate in this collaborative effort between health systems, academic institutions, and community-based organizations to come together to increase awareness, break down barriers, and address disparities with colorectal cancer. We appreciate Pastor William Tyree for graciously allowing us to host this community event at the beautiful First Baptist Church, Berkley and for his commitment to this work."
The Third Annual Health Equity Panel consisted of two events that were free and open to the community. The first event took place at Riverside Brentwood Medical Center in Newport News on Saturday, April 13, and the second at First Baptist Church, Berkley in Norfolk on Saturday, April 20. Both events had interactive discussions about colorectal cancer awareness with a panel of physicians, individuals whose lives were touched by colorectal cancer, educational resources, healthy cooking demonstrations, music, food, and prizes. Eligible participants were also given free FIT kit tests to take home with them. These tests detect blood in the stool which can be a sign of pre-cancer.
“Our goal for these events was to increase awareness about colorectal cancer providing education, screening, and support for those who were able to attend,” says Linda McKee, Associate Vice President of Oncology at Riverside. “Over the years, we have seen a notable increase in colorectal cancer in our communities and especially for Black Americans who have the highest incidence and mortality rate for colorectal cancer than any other racial group compared to White Americans -- 20% more likely to receive a diagnosis of colorectal cancer and about 40% more likely to die from colorectal cancer.”
Maxine McNair, a caregiver who shared her story during the panel discussions knows firsthand the importance of colorectal screening. “COVID took a lot of people,” Maxine shared. “But for my husband, it saved his life. With his COVID diagnosis, we learned that he had stage four colon cancer. Had we gotten the testing sooner, our outcome might be different.”
Riverside, Regional Cancer Disparities Collaborative, and Sentara are committed to ongoing colorectal cancer awareness, education, and screenings to detect cancer earlier when it is most treatable.
To learn more about colorectal cancer and the importance of prevention and screenings, visit Colorectal Cancer (sentara.com).