Healthwatch: Colorectal Cancer

Fast Facts: Colorectal Cancer Testing

CBS4 and it's Healthwatch partners are joining to allow you to test yourself for colorectal cancer. Find out about a free and easy test which will give you results right in the privacy of your home, as well as a way to have your test results analyzed for free.

Get The Facts

CBS4 wants to help you detect colorectal cancer, and in partnership with Mount Sinai Medical Center and Good Neighbor Pharmacy, we are making available a free and easy-to use test kit you can use in the privacy of your own home.

The tests will be available until April 30th at any of the locations below. The tests have instructions in English and Spanish.

The tests include a postage paid card which can be sent to Mt. Sinai Medical Center for evaluation of the results and follow-up.

During the campaign, you can contact the Mount Sinai Medical Center hotline at 888-447-9997 with questions or to get help locating a  Good Neighbor Pharmacy location. Participating pharmacies are listed below:

Pharmacy	Address	City
Broward Locations
Romanos Pharmacy	9835 W Sample Rd	Coral Springs
Pill Box Pharmacy	1932 Weston Rd	Weston
Garden Drugs	4400 N Andrews Ave	Fort Lauderdale
Arthurs Pharmacy	5816 NUniversity Drive	Tamarac
Merit Pharmacy	2464 N State Rd 7	Lauderdale Lakes
Dania Discount Drugs	16 S Federal Highway	Dania Beach
Hollywood Discount Pharmacy	1150 N 35th Ave, Suite 105	Hollywood
Poste Haste Pharmacy	4401 Sheridan St	Hollywood
Pill Box Pharmacy	1700 NW 122 Terrace	Pembroke Pines
Hallendale Pharmacy	1109 E Hallandale Beach Blvd	Hallandale
Miami-Dade Locations
Nobis Pharmacy	67 NW 167th Street	North Miami Beach
Great Care Pharmacy	18589 NW 27th Ave	Carol City
Vida Pharmacy	70 West 49th Street	Hialeah
Farmacia Cardenas	2030 Palm Avenue	Hialeah
Mare Pharmacy	5350 Palm Avenue	Hialeah
Coto's Pharmacy	4982 W 12th St	Hialeah
Farmacia Cali	1924 W 60th St	Hialeah
Farmacia Cali	6871 West 4th Avenue	Hialeah
Farmacia Cruz Fuentes	3303 E 4th Ave	Hialeah
Okeechobee Discount Pharmacy	1545 W Okeechobee Rd	Hialeah
Palm Avenue Pharmacy	400 Palm Avenue	Hialeah
Matinez Drug Store	874 East 41 Street	Hialeah
Surfmed Pharmacy	7430 Collins Ave	Miami Beach
Surfmed Pharmacy	4302 Alton Rd, Suite 110	Miami Beach
Union Pharmacy and Med Supply	6462 W Flagler St	Miami
Andres Pharmacy	7167 SW 8th St	Miami
Camillus Pharmacy	10740 W Flagler St, Suite 10	Miami
Pharma Express	300 NW 22nd Ave	Miami
Cardenas Pharmacy	2741 Coral Way	Miami
Continental Pharmacy	505 Southwest 8th Street	Miami
Eighty-Eight Pharmacy	7471 SW 8th St	Miami
Jorges Pharmacy	1701 Coral Way	Miami
Robert's Drug Store	2505 NW 54th Street	Miami
Robert's Drug Store	111 NW 1st Street	Miami
Robert's Drug Store	590 West Flagler Street	Miami
Robert's Drug Store	2820 N W 7th Avenue	Miami
Farmacia Julia Discount	3000 North West 7 Street	Miami
Farmacia Julia Discount	3197 South West 18th Street	Miami
Luis Pharmacy	3601 SW 8th Street	Miami
South Miami Pharmacy	6233 SW 72nd Street	Miami
Silver Star Pharmacy	10944 SW 184th Street	Miami
Raymond Pharmacy	15740 SW 72nd Street	Miami
Professional Pharmacy	10993 SW 186th Street	Miami
Accu Care Pharmacy	18812 South Dixie Hwy	Miami
My Pharmacy	10543 South Dixie Hwy	Miami
My Pharmacy	806 North Krome Ave	Homestead
Allen's My Pharmacy	4000 SW 57th Avenue	Coral Gables

The information provided here is not intended to replace the medical advice of your doctor or health care provider.  Please consult your health care provider for advice about a specific medical condition.  Please check with a physician (such as a gastroenterologist) if you suspect you are ill. The information provided here is for educational purposes only. In no way should it be considered as offering medical advice.  CBS Corporation, CBS 4, Biomerica, Inc., Good Neighbor Pharmacy and Mount Sinai Medical Center assume no responsibility for how this material is used.  

Colorectal cancer kills over 50,000 people every year, but doctors say the disease is easily detectable with a little help from you. The Centers for Disease Control reports, if everybody aged 50 or older had regular screening tests, as many as 60% of deaths from colorectal cancer could be prevented. Here's the information you need to fight the disease.

• Basic Information
• Screening
• Symptoms
• Living with Colon Cancer
• Coping Skills
• Colon Cancer Causes

Colorectal Cancer Risk Factors

The risk of developing colorectal cancer increases with advancing age. More than 90% of cases occur in people aged 50 or older. Other risk factors include:

• Inflammatory bowel disease
• A personal or family history of colorectal cancer or colorectal polyps
• Certain hereditary syndromes
• Lack of regular physical activity
• Low fruit and vegetable intake
• A low-fiber and high-fat diet
• Overweight and obesity
• Alcohol consumption
• Tobacco use

The CDC estimated that over 60% of all deaths from colorectal cancer could be prevented if all men and women ages 50+ were screened regularly.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is one of the top forms of treatment for many cancer patients. As with any cancer treatment, there are many risks and rewards with choosing chemotherapy. CBS4 wants to help you be informed about chemotherapy, so that you can make the right decision for you. The information below comes from the National Cancer Institute, which is a division of the National Institute of Health.

 Questions and Answers about Chemotherapy
 Tips for Meeting with your Doctor
 Side Effects and Ways to Manage Them
 Terms you should Know

 Interactive Tutorial (Requires Flash Player)

For local support groups, email The Cancer Center or call 305-674-CARE (2273)

Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy involves using a certain type of energy (called ionizing radiation) to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation therapy injures or destroys cells in the area being treated by damaging those cells' genetic material, making it impossible for these cells to continue to grow and divide.The goal of radiation therapy is to damage as many cancer cells as possible, while limiting harm to nearby healthy tissue.

Information to help you learn more about radiation therapy:
 Radiation Therapy Q&A from the National Cancer Institute
 Radiation Therapy Overview from the National Library of Medicine
 Side Effects and Ways to Manage Them
 Terms to Know About Radiation Therapy