SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb., – Only four out of ten colorectal cancers are found early; when they are most treatable. That’s one reason why colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of death from cancer among men and women in the United States. Unfortunately, many people with colorectal cancer have no symptoms until the disease is well advanced.

Now you can get a free colon cancer screening kit, which you can use in the privacy of your home to check for signs of colon cancer.

Regional West Community Health, in partnership with the Scotts Bluff County Health Department, is giving away free Fecal Occult Blood Tests (FOBT) to Scotts Bluff County residents ages 50 to 75 and to persons with a close relative that has had colon cancer.

To receive a free colon cancer screening kit, contact Deb Keener, RN, Colon Cancer Program Nurse at 308-630-1580 or 308-436-6636.

Additional information about the Nebraska Colon Cancer Screening Program through the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services is available from the Nebraska Colon Cancer Screening Program at 1-800-532-2227 or www.dhhs.ne.gov/crc.

Regional West Health Services in Scottsbluff, Neb., is the parent company of Regional West Medical Center, a 182-bed regional referral center and one of three Level II Trauma Centers in the state. As the region’s only tertiary referral medical center, Regional West offers care that spans more than 32 medical specialties provided by over 28 physician clinics. With nearly 300 providers, and over 2,000 employees, Regional West provides comprehensive and innovative health care services for the people of western Nebraska and the neighboring states of Colorado, South Dakota, and Wyoming.