UnityPoint Health and Gilda’s Club Quad Cities are offering free at-home colon cancer screening kits to identify cancer early and increase people’s treatment options and survival rates.

“For many people, cancer is a tough and scary topic to talk about. With colorectal cancer being the fourth most common cancer in men and women, taking the steps to catch cancer early is key,” says Tricia Fisher, director of oncology services at UnityPoint Health Cancer Center in Moline, Illinois. “Our experts have you covered with a simple colon cancer screening kit and tips to identify cancer early, when it’s easier to treat.”

Thanks to grant support from the Iowa Cancer Consortium, UnityPoint Health and Gilda’s Club Quad Cities are offering free educational workshops and at-home screening kits for Louisa, Muscatine, and Scott County residents.

There are two upcoming workshops being offered in February and March:

• Thursday, Feb. 16 from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Davenport Main Library, Meeting Room C, 321 N Main St Davenport, IA 52801
• Thursday, Mar. 30 from 6 to 7 p.m. at TMBC Lincoln Resource Center, 318 E 7th St, Davenport, IA 52803

Registration is not required. Attendees are encouraged to arrive 10-15 minutes before the start to get checked in.

Experts recommend people 45 or older be screened for colon cancer, or earlier if you have a family history of colon cancer or irritable bowel syndrome.

Screenings are quick and easy, taking only minutes from the comfort of your home. Learn more at gildasclubqc.org/colon and call 309-779-5796 to request a free at-home screening kit.

“We’re making it easier for anyone who needs to be screened for colon cancer to do so by removing barriers like cost and time,” says Fisher. “By increasing access to screenings, we can help promote better outcomes with early detection.”

Colorectal cancer is a disease in which early detection is important. The earlier doctors can find cancer, when it’s small and hasn’t spread, the easier it is to treat. Simple screenings can increase survival chances to nearly 95%: “It’s never easy to hear that you have cancer. We are here to provide support, education, and hope if results are not what people expected,” says Kelsey Allen, LMSW, LSW, program
director at Gilda’s Club Quad Cities.

For more information on colon cancer screenings or to request a free screening kit, visit https://www.unitypoint.org/quadcities/colon-cancer-screening.aspx.