Dear Lake County Resident:

Preventable, treatable and beatable -- these words all apply to colorectal cancer (cancer of the colon and rectum). However, of cancers affecting both men and women, colorectal cancer is the second leading cancer killer in the United States.

In observance of National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month in March, the Health Department is encouraging everyone 50 or older to get screened for colon cancer. Currently millions of people who should be screened for colorectal cancer are not getting the recommended tests. Everyone in this age group should talk to a health care provider about getting screened, even if no one in your family has had it. If your parent, sibling, or child has ever had colon cancer or colon polyps, you might need to start screening before age 50.  Be sure to ask about the different ways you can be screened and when you should start. Tests for colorectal cancer include:

• Guaiac-based fecal occult blood test (gFOBT) and the fecal immunochemical test (FIT): Samples of stool (poop) are checked for blood, which might be a sign of a polyp or cancer.
• Stool DNA test (sDNA): A stool sample (poop) is checked for certain abnormal sections of DNA (genetic material) from cancer or polyp cells.
• Sigmoidoscopy: A flexible, lighted tube is put into the rectum and lower colon to look for polyps and cancer.
• Colonoscopy: A longer, flexible tube is used to look at the entire colon and rectum.
• Double-contrast barium enema: This is an x-ray test of the colon and rectum.
• CT colonography (virtual colonoscopy): This is a type of CT scan of the colon and rectum.

The Health Department recently began offering FIT tests to its primary care patients. If you do not have a healthcare provider, you can make an appointment with a Health Department doctor by calling: (847) 377-8800. For more information about colon cancer, visit the American Cancer Society’s website at: www.cancer.org/colon.   Thanks to improvements in prevention, early detection, and treatment, more than a million people in the U.S. count themselves as survivors of colon or rectum cancer.

Sincerely,

Tony Beltran
Executive Director
Lake County Health Department/
Community Health Center

Are you younger than 65 and get little or no exercise? Are you a woman who gave birth to a baby that weighed more than 9 pounds? These questions are part of a quick prediabetes quiz available here. Take the quiz and if the results show you could be on your way to having diabetes, discuss prevention efforts with your healthcare provider.

The first in a seasonal series of low-cost pet vaccination clinics begins March 26 in Grayslake, from 9 a.m. to noon. The Health Department's Animal Care and Control Program is offering the clinic in conjunction with the 4-H at the Lake County Fairgrounds, 1060 East Peterson Road. The clinic provides a convenient and affordable way for Lake County residents to keep their pets up to date with shots and rabies tags. Click here for more about clinic services and costs.

Take a few minutes to watch this month's Healthy Lake County video and learn a little about what the Health Department does to prevent tuberculosis, how to take a free prediabetes test and how private well owners can save money with reduced water testing rates for 11 days in March. Click here for the video.

Junior high and high school girls as well as parents and role models are invited to participate in a free conference to help young girls make good decisions in their everyday lives. Participants who pre-register will receive free lunch. Click here to learn more and register.

The Health Department’s 2015 annual report reflects the current accomplishments of its “Live Well Lake County” 2013-2016 Strategic Plan. This plan is part of a big picture focused on improving the quality of life of Lake County. Click here to read the report.