The Colon Cancer Initiative: Crossing Language Barriers to Save Lives

Southcoast Hospitals Group has joined forces with the American Cancer Society and the Greater New Bedford Community Health Center (GNBCHC) to promote colon cancer screening among Hispanic residents.

“People with colon cancer have a much better chance for a good outcome if their disease is found and treated early,” said Frances Fuller, Director of Oncology and Specialty Services for Southcoast Hospitals Group. “By partnering with important community health organizations such as the American Cancer Society and the GNBCHC, we expand Southcoast’s ability to reach an underserved population and raise awareness of their risk for the disease.”

Colon cancer is a major health threat to Hispanics. The disease is the third-leading cause of cancer deaths in Hispanic people. In New Bedford, colon cancer rates for Hispanic women are 20 percent higher than the state average.

For years, the lack of easy-to-read educational material in their native language has kept many people of Hispanic descent from understanding their risk for colon cancer and the importance of early detection, Fuller said.

Southcoast is distributing screening guidelines in Spanish, Portuguese and Haitian Creole through the Southcoast Health Van and at the Southcoast Ambulatory Care Clinic. These guidelines also are available at the GNBCHC. Visitors to each site can watch a DVD recording to learn what happens during a colonoscopy, and health care providers enhance this learning with models of the colon. The project is funded by a grant from the American Cancer Society.

In addition, radio station WHTB 1400 AM takes calls from listeners on a monthly Spanish-language program focusing on colon cancer. Spanish and Portuguese newspapers are printing stories about the disease.

“Men and women at average risk for colon cancer should start screening at age 50,” said Linda C. Aguiar, Community Executive for Cancer Control for the New England Division of the American Cancer Society. “People at higher risk may need to start testing sooner or be screened more often.

“With all these groups working together to promote awareness of colon cancer, we expect to really have an impact and help save lives.”