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LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Gov. Pete Ricketts is urging residents over the age of 50 to get screened for colon cancer, the second-leading cause of cancer death in Nebraska.
Ricketts made the announcement Tuesday alongside Courtney Phillips, the Department of Health and Human Services' CEO, and Dr. Alan Thorson, a colon and rectal surgeon.
Ricketts says preventative screenings save lives. Colon cancer occurs more often in Nebraska than the rest of the nation, with an incident rate of more than 41 per 100,000 people. The national rate is nearly 39 per 100,000 people.
Phillips says Nebraska is one of a handful of states fortunate enough to have state funding to support colon cancer screening initiatives. When colon cancer is found early and treated, the five-year survival rate is about 90 percent.
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