Narrow the Gap
Fight the silent killer and get screened.
NYC Health and Hospital is urging all residents 50 years old and older to undergo potentially life-saving colorectal cancer screening to mark Colorectal Cancer Awareness month in March.
In New York, colorectal cancer is the second deadliest cancer, killing 1,400 people each year according to the New York Citywide Colon Cancer Control Coalition (C5), which includes NYC Health and Hospitals. Yet 90 percent of colorectal cancer are curable when caught in the early stages.
Men and women over the age of 50 should have a colonoscopy at least once every 10 years. Individuals with a family history of colorectal cancer should speak with their healthcare provider about more frequent screenings starting at an early age.
People with colon cancer often have no symptoms until the disease has reached advanced stages, however signs of colon cancer may include:
-A change in bowel habits, including diarrhea, constipation or a change in consistency of stool.
-Rectal bleeding or blood in stool
-Persistent abdominal discomfort, such as cramps, gas or pain
-A feeling that the bowel does not completely empty after a bowel movement
-Weakness or fatigue
-Unexplained weight loss
NYC Health + Hospitals has three hospitals in Manhattan which you can contact for screenings availability and they are as follow:
Harlem Hospital
506 Lenox Avenue
New York, NY 10037
Tel. 212-939-1000
Metropolitan Hospital
1901 First Avenue
New York, NY 10029
Tel. 212-423-6262
Bellevue Hospital
462 First Avenue
New York, NY 10016
Tel. 212-562-4141
To find a Health + Hospital Facility in your community, visit http://tinyurl.com/zw6qcd2 or call 311.