SCRANTON -- Colorectal cancer is often diagnosed in northeastern Pennsylvania at a rate 20 percent higher than the rest of the state and the country.
Getting more people screened to catch it early is the goal of a program in Lackawanna County.
We met with the Northeast Regional Cancer Institute's director of community and patient services Laura Toole. She told us about a program going on now for those who fall into certain low-income and under-insured guidelines.
It's a way to get more people screened for what's called a preventable cancer since, like cervical cancer, testing can detect pre-cancerous cells.
"For individuals who don't have insurance, we are able to cover the cost of a stool-based take-home test. And for individuals for whom that test comes back positive, we are able to help cover the cost of a diagnostic colonoscopy at that point," Toole explained.
There are some age and income requirements. If you'd like to figure out whether you're eligible, give the Northeast Regional Cancer Institute a call at 570-941-7984.
