Princess Health and Officials hope reduction in Ky. colon cancer deaths via screening can be replicated with lung cancer, in which state is No. 1. Princessiccia

Princess Health and Officials hope reduction in Ky. colon cancer deaths via screening can be replicated with lung cancer, in which state is No. 1. Princessiccia

cancer colorectal cancer health reform lung cancer Medicaid obamacare Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act rural health rural-urban disparities smoking smoking bans

Gusty 09:11 Add Comment

Health officials in Kentucky, especially in the eastern part of the state, hope to increase lung-cancer screenings by following a successful colon-cancer screening initiative, Jackie Judd reports for PBS NewsHour. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention graphic: Colon-cancer screenings are up)

In rural Eastern Kentucky, smoking and lung cancer rates are double the national average, while the state is second in adult smoking rates and leads the nation in lung cancer and rates of death from it. That is "fueled by a toxic combination of poverty, medical illiteracy, limited access to care, lifestyle choices like smoking, and a fatalism that says knowing you have cancer won�t save you."

Another challenge is that local bans of smoking in public places have left two-thirds of residents living in areas with no such bans, and a statewide ban seems unlikely because it failed to pass the state House this year after narrowly passing last year. New Republican Gov. Matt Bevin opposes a statewide ban.

Fifteen years ago Kentucky led the nation in "both the highest incidence and mortality rates for colorectal cancer," Allison Perry reports for University of Kentucky News. Rural residents didn't seek care, partly because of a lack of facilities and partly because of a refusal to schedule an appointment. If local residents wouldn't seek care, health officials decided to bring care to local residents.

"In the seven years following this new focus on colorectal cancer, the screenings rates nearly doubled, from 34.7 percent of the age-eligible population receiving screenings to 63.7 percent," Perry writes. "This raised Kentucky�s rank from 49th in the country to 23rd compared to other states. No other state has had such a dramatic increase in colorectal screenings in such a short period of time. As a result, the lives of many Kentuckians have been saved: the incidence rate for colorectal cancer is down nearly 25 percent, and the mortality rate has dropped 30 percent. Through colorectal screenings, doctors can find precancerous lesions and remove them before they become cancer. Screenings also allow physicians to find these cancers at an earlier stages, when they are more likely to respond to treatment."

The number of cancer screenings jumped in 2014 and 2015, as the state expanded eligibility for the Medicaid program under federal health reform, making many more people eligible for free screenings. Bevin is seeking change the state's program in ways that could require co-payments, premiums and deductibles.

In Kentucky "the challenge is to not only encourage certain lifelong smokers to get screened, but to get them to quit, and for others to never start," especially because of the addictive nature of smoking, Judd reports. "It will be even more difficult than changing the profile of colon cancer, because smoking involves addiction. The hope of public health officials is that the model used to bring down colon cancer deaths can be used to the same effect, not only for lung cancer, but for other diseases plaguing this depressed swath of America."

Princess Health and Grants of up to $10,000 available for Kentucky communities to fight colon cancer; applications are due July 15.Princessiccia

Princess Health and Grants of up to $10,000 available for Kentucky communities to fight colon cancer; applications are due July 15.Princessiccia

cancer screening colorectal cancer grants prevention

Gusty 09:43 Add Comment

The Colon Cancer Prevention Project has a new "Project Innovation" grant program to help fund local innovative ideas to get more people screened for colon cancer in Kentucky and Southern Indiana.

Kentucky ranks first in colon-cancer diagnoses and fourth in colon-cancer deaths. It is estimated that 60 percent of deaths from colon cancer could be prevented if everyone were screened at age 50, according to the project's website.

The project, based in Louisville, is a partner in the national initiative to increase colon screening rates to 80 percent by 2018 and hopes to reach this goal by expanding into new communities through volunteer participation.

With this goal in mind, the project is offering up to $10,000 in grants to help individuals lead efforts to raise awareness in their communities about colon cancer and educate people about the importance of screening. The number of approved projects and the amount of funding will depend on the number of applications received and the perceived effectiveness of the project.

Anyone who creates a project to support the expansion of the Colon Cancer Prevention Project that will serve Kentucky or Southern Indiana can apply.

Projects should target African Americans or rural areas of Kentucky and Appalachia. Preference will be given to projects that focus on these counties: Whitley, Knox, Bell, Clay, Madison, Fleming, Morgan, Martin, Pike, Hopkins and Hardin. However, all applications will be considered.

Project requirements can be found online and applications will be accepted through July 15. For more information and access to the application, click here: http://coloncancerpreventionproject.org/help-kick-butt/project-innovation/

Princess Health and Free screenings of new Kentucky colon-cancer documentary, plus Q and A, are scheduled in Louisville, Lexington and Hazard.Princessiccia

Princess Health and Free screenings of new Kentucky colon-cancer documentary, plus Q and A, are scheduled in Louisville, Lexington and Hazard.Princessiccia

cancer colorectal cancer health education health journalism prevention television

Gusty 13:12 Add Comment

The Colon Cancer Prevention Project is premiering its new documentary, "Catching a Killer: Colon Cancer in the Bluegrass," in three select cities, before it starts airing on KET this summer.

The 30-minute film, which features stories from Kentuckians who have been affected by colon cancer, will be shown June 18 at the Clifton Center in Louisville; June 23 at the Central Library in Lexington; and July 20 at the Perry County Library in Hazard. It includes stories from residents of Appalachia and Louisville, two areas where colon cancer rates are the highest.

All three events will run from 7 to 8 p.m. and include a question-and-answer session with expert panelists after the film is over. Free food, music and photos will be offered before the start of the film, from 5:45 to 6:45 p.m.

The Colon Cancer Prevention Project is Kentucky and Southern Indiana�s only nonprofit focused solely on work to end the second leading cancer killer among men and women. Colon cancer strikes 2,600 Kentuckians each year � making Kentucky one of the worst states in the country for colon cancer incidence � but it is highly preventable with screening.

"Catching a Killer" not only shares the heartfelt stories of our neighbors, but also shares information about screening options and resources in our state.

�Our goal is to make sure people get screened for this disease and avoid ever hearing the words: You have cancer,� Andrea Shepherd, the project's executive director, said in a news release. �We hope that after viewing this documentary, people get on the phone and start talking with their physicians and families about colon cancer screening.�

The events are free and open to the public. More information and an RSVP form is available on the project's website.

Princess Health andTwo weeks of high-fiber, low-fat diet brings changes that protect against colon cancer; high-fat diet brings changes with more risk.Princessiccia

Princess Health andTwo weeks of high-fiber, low-fat diet brings changes that protect against colon cancer; high-fat diet brings changes with more risk.Princessiccia

colorectal cancer diet nutrition research

Gusty 13:07 Add Comment

Two weeks is all it took for a change in diet to increase production of a substance in the gut that may reduce the risk of colon cancer, according to a recent study, published in Nature Communications.

The study asked 20 African Americans in Pittsburgh and 20 rural South Africans to switch diets for two weeks. The Americans were fed a high-fiber, low-fat diet, with plenty of fruits, vegetables, beans, cornmeal and very little meat, while the Africans were given a diet high in fat with lots of meat and cheese, Sindya N. Bhanoo reports for The New York Times.

�We made them fried chicken, burgers and fries,� Stephen J. D. O�Keefe, a gastroenterologist at the University of Pittsburgh and one of the study�s authors, told Bhanoo. �They loved it.�

After two weeks, colonoscopies on the volunteers found that the African Americans who ate the traditional African diet had "reduced inflammation in the colon and increased production of butyrate, a fatty acid that may protect against colon cancer," Bhanoo writes. Africans who ate the Western diet had changes in their gut bacteria "consistent with an increased cancer risk."

African Americans are disproportionately affected by colon cancer, while the disease affects few people in rural Africa, Bhanno notes.

Colorectal cancer is the second most common cancer in both men and women in the U.S. and is expected to cause about 49,700 deaths during 2015, according to the American Cancer Society. Kentucky leads the nation in both incidences and deaths from colorectal cancer, with 51.4 cases per 100,000 people and 18.7 deaths per 100,000, according to the Kentucky Cancer Registry.

Princess Health andNew health-related laws deal with heroin, dating violence, end-of-life care, prescriptions, colon-cancer and newborn screening.Princessiccia

Princess Health andNew health-related laws deal with heroin, dating violence, end-of-life care, prescriptions, colon-cancer and newborn screening.Princessiccia

colorectal cancer domestic violence drug treatment end-of-life care General Assembly health heroin legislation physician assistants prescription drugs research stroke

Gusty 10:39 Add Comment

By Melissa Patrick
Kentucky Health News

FRANKFORT, Ky. � The Kentucky General Assembly passed several health-related bills this session, including high-profile measures on heroin and dating violence. It did not pass many others, including one that would have a great influence on the state's health: a statewide smoking ban, which passed the House for the first time ever, but never got out of an unfavorable committee in the Senate. Here's a roundup:

Heroin: Kentucky's heroin-overdose epidemic was caused partly by a 2012 legislative crackdown on prescription painkillers, which steered users to the illegal drug. Last year's bill died because of deadlock over sentences for traffickers and needle-exchange programs for addicts, and Gov. Steve Beshear and legislators gave this year's bill top priority. It was not finally negotiated until a few hours before passage, but Beshear signed Senate Bill 192 into law less than 12 hours after it passed so that its emergency clause could put it into effect immediately.

SB 192 includes both a needle-exchange program and harsher penalties against traffickers, the main points of contention between the House and Senate, but requires local governments to approve needle exchanges and allows judges to be lenient in sentencing addicts, to help them get treatment. It allocates money for drug-treatment programs, allows increased access to Naloxone, a drug that reverses the effects of an overdose, and allows jailers to provide medically assisted treatment for inmates with opiate addiction.

Dating violence: After 10 years of lobbying and debate, the dating violence bill will allow dating partners to get interpersonal protective orders from a judge if they have been the victim of dating violence, sexual abuse or stalking. This year's bill largely dissolved social conservatives' opposition by creating a new chapter in the law for dating violence, with the same protections as the domestic-violence law. Kentucky is the last state to offer protection to dating-violence victims. House Bill 8 was sponsored by Rep. John Tilley, D-Hopkinsville, who also sponsored the House heroin bill.

Beshear has signed these bills into law:

Prescription synchronization: SB 44, sponsored by Sen. Julie Raque Adams,R -Louisville, will allow patients with multiple prescriptions, in consultation with their health-care provider and their pharmacist, to synchronize prescriptions so that they may be picked up at the same time.

Medical order scope of treatment: SB 77, sponsored by Sen. Tom Buford, R-Nicholasville. will create a medical order scope of treatment (MOST) form that specifically directs the type of treatment a patient would like to have, and how much intervention he or she would like to have, during end-of-life care.

Colorectal cancer screening: SB 61, sponsored by Sen. Ralph Alvarado, R-Winchester, will require that a fecal test to screen for colon cancer, and any follow-up colonoscopy, be considered preventive measures that health insurance is required to cover without imposing additional deductible or co-insurance cost. The governor also signed a similar measure, HB 69, sponsored by Rep. Tom Burch, D-Louisville, which contains an amendment by Sen. Julian Carroll, D-Frankfort, for a Medicaid savings study.

Newborn screenings for fatal disease: SB 75, sponsored by Sen. Alice Forgy Kerr, R-Lexington, will require all newborns to be tested for Krabbe disease, a neurological disorder that destroys the protective coating of nerve and brain cells and is fatal once symptoms occur.

Spina bifida: SB 159, sponsored by Adams, will require medical providers to supply written, up-to-date, accurate information to parents when their unborn child is diagnosed with spina bifida so they can make informed decisions on treatment.

Emergency care for strokes: SB 10, sponsored by Sens. Stan Humphries, R-Cadiz, and David Givens, R-Greensburg, requires that local emergency services have access to a list of stroke-ready hospitals, comprehensive stroke centers and primary stroke centers in Kentucky. Emergency medical providers will set their own protocols for assessment, treatment and transport of stroke patients.

Alcohol and drug counselors: HB 92, sponsored by Rep. Leslie Combs, D-Pikeville, creates an enhanced licensing program to recognize three levels of certified alcohol and drug counselors, with different levels of education. The goal is to increase the number of counselors in the state.

UK cancer research center: HB 298, sponsored by Rep. Rick Rand, D-Bedford, revises the state budget to authorize $132.5 million, half of the cost, for a new medical research center at the University of Kentucky. The university says it will raise money to cover the other half.

These health bills awaited the governor's signature Monday morning:

Physician assistants: HB 258, sponsored by Rep. Denver Butler, D-Louisville, to allow physicians to supervise up to four physicians at the same time, rather than two.

In-home care: HB 144, sponsored by Burch, to establish a 60-day, hospital-to-home transition program through an approval waiver from the Department for Medicaid Services.

Pharmacist-practitioner collaboration: HB 377, sponsored by Rep. Dean Schamore, D-Hardinsburg, to allow collaboration between pharmacist and practitioners to manage patients' drug-related health needs.

Tax refund donations: SB 82, sponsored by Sen. Max Wise, R-Campbellsville, to put an income tax check-off box on tax forms to allow people the option of donating a portion of their tax refund to support pediatric cancer research, rape crisis centers or the Special Olympics.

Health related bills that were left hanging:

The smoking ban, HB 145, sponsored by Rep. Susan Westrom, D-Lexington, never got a hearing in the Senate Veterans, Military Affairs and Public Protection Committee, and neither did the Senate companion bill, SB 189, sponsored by Adams.

Three bills challenged Medicaid managed-care companies. SB 120, sponsored by Alvarado, would have created a process for health-care providers to appeal the companies' decisions to the state passed the Senate, but not the House.  And the following two bills that never got out of the Senate: SB 88, also sponsored by Alvarado, which challenged the $50 "triage fees" MCOs pay for emergency-room visits that they conclude were not emergencies, and would have required them to pay contracted fees instead and SB 31, sponsored by Buford, which would limited the amount of co-payments. Also not getting House action was Alvarado's SB 6 would have created review panels for lawsuits seeking damages from health-care providers.

Princess Health and Princess Health andFDA reviews alternatives to colonoscopies to screen for colorectal cancer, including mail-in, stool-sampling kits.Princessiccia

Princess Health and Princess Health andFDA reviews alternatives to colonoscopies to screen for colorectal cancer, including mail-in, stool-sampling kits.Princessiccia

cancer cancer screening colorectal cancer health rankings

Gusty 18:34 Add Comment

The Food and Drug Administration is examining the possibility of two alternatives to colonoscopies for identifying tumors and growths in the large intestine. Kentucky ranks high in deaths from colon cancer, partly because people resist having colonoscopies.

According to briefing documents posted online Monday, scientists are evaluating the precision of mail-in, stool-sampling kits from Epigenomics and Exact Sciences, which if approved could be on the market this summer, Matthew Perrone writes for the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Stool tests have long been employed to help detect precancerous tumors, and colon cancer is often treatable if found early enough. So far, the two tests are more accurate than traditional blood stool tests, but they also more often reported growths when there were none.

"Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the U.S., with over 50,000 deaths expected this year, according to the American Cancer Society," Perrone reports. Last year Kentucky had the fourth highest death rate for colon cancer in the nation, Dr. Amy Tiu noted in a March 15 article for the Lexington Herald-Leader.

Though colonoscopy is the most accurate screening, many people shun it because they think it will be uncomfortable or invasive, and a liquid compounds must be used to clean out the colon before the procedure. The blood-in-stool tests, though thought to be less accurate, may work just as well if employed each year, according to a federally appointed panel.

The new screenings are expected to be more expensive than traditional tests, and it is so far unclear how often people would need to be tested, Perrone reports.

"Only through a better understanding of other key factors, such as the screening interval, adherence, cost and diagnostic evaluation of positive results, can we determine the appropriate place for stool DNA testing on the screening menu," Drs. Douglas Robertson Dr. Jason Dominitz said in the briefing documents.

One of the proposed tests, Cologuard, detected colorectal cancer in 92 percent of patients who had cancerous tumors, while the traditional blood stool test only has 74 percent accuracy. "In patients with precancerous polyps the test was accurate 42 percent of the time, compared with 24 percent for the blood test," Perrone reports.

Epigenomics' Epi proColon test, however, did not meet all of the study goals. This test discovered cancer in 68 percent of patients who had cancerous tumors, but it only recognized healthy patients in 79 percent of cases. FDA scientists warned that "lower specificity could lead to an increase in the number of avoidable colonoscopies" and "adverse events associated with such invasive procedures," Perrone writes.

Princess Health and Princess Health andWear blue on Friday, March 7 to mark Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month and encourage screening and colonoscopies.Princessiccia

Princess Health and Princess Health andWear blue on Friday, March 7 to mark Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month and encourage screening and colonoscopies.Princessiccia

cancer colorectal cancer health rankings state government

Gusty 08:59 Add Comment

Friday, March 7 will be "Dress in Blue Day" to mark National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month and to help raise awareness about colon cancer in Kentucky, according to Madeline Abramson, wife of Lt. Gov. Jerry Abramson.

�Kentucky has one the highest mortality rates of colorectal cancer in the nation,� she said in a news release.  �The good news is that through preventative screenings, this deadly disease can be detected early and treated successfully. I ask Kentuckians to join me in wearing blue on March 7 to help spread the word about the risks of colon cancer and the importance of getting screened.�

The American Cancer Society estimates that about 2,200 Kentuckians will be newly diagnosed with colon cancer this year and nearly 900 of them will die from it.  Those over 50, or who have a family history of colon cancer, are at the greatest risk and should get regular colonoscopies, doctors say.

To help raise awareness in Frankfort, the State Capitol dome will be lit blue until March 7. Hospitals, businesses, churches, schools, banks, health departments and other organizations are planning and hosting special activities to commemorate the month and promote screening.  

For more information on Colorectal Cancer Month and Dress in Blue Day, visit Madeline Abramson�s website at http://1.usa.gov/NrsMriand the Colon Cancer Prevention Project site at http://bit.ly/1i3q98G. The Kentucky Cancer Program website at www.kycancerprogram.org has information about cancer prevention, awareness and treatment.

Princess Health and 'Incredible Colon' to march across the state in Colon Cancer Awareness Month; more than a dozen stops scheduled.Princessiccia

Princess Health and 'Incredible Colon' to march across the state in Colon Cancer Awareness Month; more than a dozen stops scheduled.Princessiccia

cancer cancer screening colorectal cancer prevention

Gusty 07:00 Add Comment

A special tour throughout the state of the Incredible Colon � an inflatable model of a human colon, large enough for visitors to walk through it � will promote education about risks and preventive measures of colon cancer during March, National Colon Cancer Awareness Month.

Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer mortality in Kentucky and nationwide, and it affects men and women of all ethnicities. Kentuckians have a higher than average risk of colon cancer due to higher rates of obesity, diets high in fat, and lack of regular exercise.

As many as 60 percent of deaths from colorectal cancer could be prevented if everyone age 50 and older were screened regularly, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Screenings detect any abnormalities or early signs of cancer, like polyps in the colon, and when detected early, polyps can be easily removed during a colonoscopy before they develop into cancer. When colon cancer is found early and treated, the five-year relative survival rate is 90 percent, underscoring the need for preventive health exams.

However, only 63 percent of Kentuckians who should have screening tests have had them, according to Kentucky data from the federal Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, an ongoing national survey.

The colon tour is a coordinated promotion by the Kentucky Cancer Program, local cancer councils and the Kentucky Colon Cancer Prevention Project. It is free and open to the public and will take place in 13 Kentucky communities March 4-28:

� March 4: Fleming County Hospital, Flemingsburg (10:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.)
� March 5: Walmart, Manchester (Noon - 4 p.m.)
� March 6: Hazard ARH Medical Mall, Hazard (10 a.m. - 3 p.m.)
� March 7: Rowan County Chamber of Commerce, Morehead (members
  only, 9:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.)
� March 8: Frankfort Regional Hospital, Frankfort (9 a.m. - 4 p.m.)
� March 19: Lexmark, Lexington, (Employees only, 8:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.)
� March 20: Lawrence County High School, Louisa (8 a.m. - 5 p.m.)
� March 21: Lady of Bellefonte Health Center, Grayson (10 a.m. - 2 p.m.)
� March 23: Phillip Sharp Middle School, Butler (8-11 a.m. )
� March 25: Town Center Mall, Ashland (10 a.m. - 3 p.m.)
� March 26: Walmart, Georgetown (3-6 p.m.)
� March 27: Adron Doran University Center, Morehead (9:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.)
� March 28: Walmart, Somerset (10 a.m. - 2 p.m.)

Attendees are invited to dress in blue, the color of colon cancer awareness, and there will be door prizes, giveaways (while supplies last), refreshments and educational information about colon cancer screening, prevention and early detection. (Read more)

Princess Health and Beshear vetoes parts of budget, but health spending is intact.Princessiccia

Princess Health and Beshear vetoes parts of budget, but health spending is intact.Princessiccia

cancer child abuse children colorectal cancer General Assembly legislation legislature Medicaid seniors state budget state government

Gusty 14:26 Add Comment

Though Gov. Steve Beshear vetoed 45 parts of the state budget yesterday evening, health-related spending was safe from the cut.

The budget will help reduce caseloads for social workers who investigate child abuse and neglect, funds colon cancer screenings for 4,000 uninsured Kentuckians, substance-abuse treatment for Medicaid recipients and includes funding for an elder abuse registry to protect senior citizens from unscrupulous caretakers.

"This is the most difficult budget I have ever drafted, and it will also be a challenge to implement and manage over the next two years," the governor said in a statement.

In the two-year, $19 billion budget, Beshear voted more than three dozen line-item appropriations, including "portions of the General Fund budget that limited his ability to manage the state's budget or spent money that doesn't exist," reports Beth Musgrave of the Lexington Herald-Leader.

He also cut some earmarks, including $100,000 for Actors Theatre of Louisville and $150,000 for the International Mystery Writers' Festival in Owensboro. "I am vetoing these parts because they identify new spending earmarks yet the General Assembly failed to appropriate additional funds to finance them," Beshear said. (Read more)