Elizabeth Westbrook hopes people will learn more about colon cancer by touring The Incredible Colon.
"It's an inflatable education colon that people can walk through," said Westbrook, cancer control specialist of the Kentucky Cancer Program. "They can see what a polyp would look like, what a lesion would look like and what a healthy colon would look like."
The inflatable colon will be one of the demonstrations this weekend at the Health and Wellness Expo.
"It's an event that we put on to increase awareness and education for the community," said Andrea Norris, community wellness manager at The Medical Center's Health and Wellness Center. "It's really a good opportunity for people because it has different types of information at one place."
Sponsored by The Medical Center and WBKO-TV, the expo will be from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday at the Sloan Convention Center. Health screenings available will include blood sugar, colorectal cancer kits, glaucoma, hearing, lung health, skin cancer, vision, blood pressure and body fat analysis. There will also be door prizes, demonstrations and special presentations by various participants, including Zumba, yoga, CPR, BG Rockerz, Jumpin' Jaguars and Bowling Green Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Judo. Admission is free.
"We have over 65 vendors and 19 free screenings," Norris said. "We have between 1,500 and 2,000 people every year."
Jim Williams, field operations manager for The Medical Center Emergency Medical Services, said EMS would be demonstrating how to use an automated external defibrillator.
"People can test drive an AED and see how to work it, and we'll be able to answer questions about where to get training and where to buy them," he said. "It's an automated device that has a computer in it that reads a person's heart rhythm. In the case of a person who has suffered cardiac arrest, about 80 to 85 percent of the time their first heart arrhythmia can be reversed with an electric shock."
Using an AED doesn't take special training, although with a CPR class, people can learn to use it even more effectively, Williams said.
"It's like a fire extinguisher. You can use it to put out a small fire while you're waiting for the fire department," he said. "You put a couple of patches on the person's chest. The computer will talk you through what you need to do. It will tell you when and when not to do CPR. It analyzes the heart rhythm on its own."
AEDs are available in a variety of places, including malls, schools and workplaces, Williams said.
"People have probably noticed that more AEDs are out in the public," he said. "Day to day, most people don't realize they're walking past them. They're all over the community."
Westbrook said the Kentucky Cancer Program's display will be focusing on colon cancer.
"We'll have lots of information about colon cancer and the importance of screenings," she said. "Colonoscopy is considered the gold standard. They can remove polyps before they become cancer. There are other types of tests also. Talk to your physician."
There are about 150,000 new cases of colon cancer and 52,000 deaths each year in the United States, Westbrook said. In Kentucky, it is estimated that there will be 2,280 new cases and 900 deaths in 2012.
The number of people being screened for colon cancer in Kentucky is increasing and the number dying from colon cancer is decreasing because of awareness, she said.
"Colon cancer is preventable. People over 50 should be screened," she said. "People who have a family history or who have polyps or Crohn's disease need to be more vigilant and screened earlier."
- For more information, call 745-1010 or 800-624-2318.
