Jennifer Wilson, Public Relations Manager · March 13, 2014
West Columbia, S.C. – Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States. Each year, more than 2,000 South Carolinians are diagnosed with colon cancer and 800 die from the disease. But it’s also one of the most preventable forms of cancer – and treatable when detected early. Unfortunately, not everyone receives proper screening.
That’s why Lexington Medical Center will host its fifth annual Colon Cancer Challenge bike ride on Saturday, March 29, 2014. All proceeds will go to the LMC Colon Cancer Fund. Hundreds of people participate in the event each year.
“Lexington Medical Center is pleased that the Colon Cancer Challenge helps to provide colonoscopies for people in need in our community,” said Barbara Willm, vice president of Community Relations at Lexington Medical Center.
The Colon Cancer Challenge is set for March 29, 2014. The one-day bicycling event will feature 65-, 50-, 25- and 15- and 5-mile rides. Everything begins and ends at Dutch Fork Middle School, located at 1528 Old Tamah Road in Irmo.
Registration begins at 7:00 a.m. The 65- and 50-mile rides begin at 8:00 a.m; the 25-mile ride at 8:30 a.m; the15-mile ride at 9:30 a.m; and the 5-mile ride at 10:00 a.m. Lunch for bike riders will be served at 11:00 a.m.
60-, 50-, 25- and 15-mile Bike Rides: Early Registration: $35. After March 14: $40. Day of Event: $45. 5-mile Bike Ride: Early Registration: $20. After March 14: $25. Day of Event: $30.
This year’s Colon Cancer Challenge will also be a special tribute to Edwin Hudson, MD, a Lexington Medical Center radiologist and avid bike rider, who was killed in a tragic cycling accident last year.
Learn more and register at www.LMCColonCancerChallenge.com.
Here are some colon cancer facts from the American College of Gastroenterology:
· Colon cancer is the only form of cancer that is preventable.
· The best way to screen for colon cancer is a colonoscopy, which is an examination of the large intestine using a lighted tube.
· Colonnoscopy is among the most powerful tools in clinical medicine, because of its excellent potential to identify and permit removal of polyps before they turn into cancer.
· In general, doctors recommend that people undergo a colonoscopy every 10 years beginning at age 50. African-Americans should begin screening at age 45.
· Early detection and intervention can reduce mortality from colon cancer by up to 90%.
March is Colon Cancer Awareness Month. News reporters who would like to do stories on colon cancer in the days leading up to the bike ride and race should contact Jennifer Wilson, Lexington Medical Center Public Relations Manager, at 803-939-4512 or 803-447-3122. With advance notice, interviews with doctors and patients can be coordinated. In addition, news reporters can conduct interviews on the day of the Colon Cancer Challenge.
Lexington Medical Center is a 607-bed teaching hospital in West Columbia, South Carolina. It anchors a health care network that includes five community medical centers and employs a staff of more than 8,000 health care professionals. The hospital is ranked best hospital in the Columbia Metro and #2 hospital in South Carolina by U.S. News & World Report and was named one of the “Best Places to Work in South Carolina” by SC Biz News, in partnership with the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce and Best Companies Group. Lexington Medical Cancer Center is an accredited Cancer Center of Excellence and has a clinical research and education affiliation with MUSC Hollings Cancer Center. The network includes a cardiovascular program recognized by the American College of Cardiology as South Carolina's first HeartCARE Center. The network also has an occupational health center, the largest skilled nursing facility in the Carolinas, an Alzheimer's care center and more than 70 physician practices. Lexington Medical Center operates one of the busiest Emergency departments in South Carolina, treating nearly 100,000 patients each year. The hospital delivers more than 4,000 babies each year and performs more than 25,000 surgeries. Its postgraduate medical education programs include family medicine and transitional year residencies.
