Colon cancer is truly preventable, unlike so many of the other cancers people face, commented Charles Katopes, MD, at Digestive Health Specialists.
Winston Salem, NC (PRWEB) February 5, 2010
For the second consecutive year the physicians and staff at Digestive Health Specialists are going to donate their time and facilities to perform 50 free screening colonoscopies for people who have lost their jobs and health insurance in the past year and who have not been screened previously.
The physicians are offering the service to 50-years-olds as that is the American Cancer Society’s (ACS) recommendations for initial screening age.
The free colonoscopies will be offered to qualified applications from February 10 through March 31 and will be performed in the Winston-Salem, Kernersville, Thomasville, and Advance offices. Applications for consideration can be found at http://www.digestivehealth.ws or can be obtained by calling the main office at 336-768-6211.
“Many of the patients last year were so appreciative of the service we provided,” said William Bray, MD, Medical Director of Digestive Health Specialists. “Each of them had been forced to postpone a screening colonoscopy due to financial hardships.”
One person was found to have colon cancer last year and is now receiving life saving treatment. 38% of the patients had polyps which were removed and sent for biopsies. Over half of them had precancerous lesions which were removed preventing the possibility of future colon cancer.
“Colon cancer is truly preventable, unlike so many of the other cancers people face,” commented Charles Katopes, MD, at Digestive Health Specialists. “We felt, that with the continuing level of high employment, we again should offer free screenings, a potential life-saving procedure, to the community.”
Founded in 1978, Digestive Health Specialists is a physician-owned gastroenterology practice based in Winston-Salem, NC. With 10 board-certified physicians and five certified physician assistants, the practice is committed to providing cancer-preventing screening colonoscopies. In addition, the doctors treat a variety of other digestive and liver-related diseases such as abdominal pain, heartburn, reflux, peptic ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, and hepatitis. Digestive Health Specialists has offices in Winston-Salem, Kernersville, Thomasville and Advance.
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