Take a Saturday stroll through a giant colon!

Who wouldn’t want to touch a malignant polyp? Or enjoy a face-to-face encounter with diseased colon tissue?

On Saturday March 3, 2017 the Breast Cervical and Colon Health Program will present the “Strollin’ Colon,” a giant inflatable colon large enough for adults to walk through while marveling at the inner workings of this important organ.

“Our giant colon is a great attention-getter, which is really important because the stakes are so high,” said Kathleen Pyper of the Breast Cervical and Colon Health Program. “Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the U.S., and will claim 50,000 lives this year. With early detection the vast majority of those lives could be saved. Colon education is extremely important!”

March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and the “Strollin’ Colon” will be the main attraction at a colorectal cancer education event at The Vancouver Mall (8700 NE Vancouver Mall Drive in Vancouver, WA) on Saturday, March 3 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. People who “pass through” the colon will see oversized representations of healthy colon tissue, polyps, malignant polyps, colon cancer, and Crohn’s disease.

Breast Cervical and Colon Health Program team members will be on hand to assist eligible people in obtaining a Fecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) kit, which can help detect both early cancer and polyps. PeaceHealth Medical Group representatives will be in attendance to assist in matching physicians with people who do not currently have a primary care provider. PeaceHealth will also have nutritionists at The Vancouver Mall to drive home the importance of healthy eating in preventing colorectal cancer, along with providing free colon-friendly fresh fruit.

What: Strollin’ Colon Colorectal Awareness Event
When: Saturday, March 3 2017 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: The Vancouver Mall – 8700 NE Vancouver Mall Drive, Vancouver WA
For more information: www.peacehealth.org/southwest/services/cancer-center/Pages/free-breast-cervical-exams

About the Breast Cervical and Colon Health Program
The Breast Cervical and Colon Health Program is funded through federal and state supported grants. PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center is the prime contractor to the Washington Department of Health, managing a nearly $1 million annual grant, which provides no-cost screening to qualified men and women. The Breast Cervical and Colon Health program serves nine counties in Washington: Clark, Cowlitz, Skamania, Wahkiakum, Pacific, Lewis, Mason, Grays Harbor, and Thurston.

About PeaceHealth Southwest
The region’s health care leader and steward for 155 years, PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center is a community-owned, not-for-profit, 450-bed, medical institution located in Vancouver, Washington. Repeatedly recognized nationally as a 100 Top Hospital, PeaceHealth Southwest provides a full range of outpatient and inpatient diagnostic, medical, and surgical services to Clark County residents. PeaceHealth Southwest is also one of Clark County’s largest employers with 3,400 employees and 600 active medical staff members that help support dozens of medical specialty services and programs, including cancer, heart, emergency, trauma, neuro-musculoskeletal, family birth, and primary care.