Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Fundraising Drive to Combat Cancer in Kentucky Nearing Goal

A public-private partnership to fight colon cancer in Kentucky appears to be gaining steam.

The Kentucky Cancer Foundation is nearing its goal of matching $1 million that Gov. Steve Beshear was able to set aside for colon cancer screening in the state budget.

Beshear and health officials provided an update on the initiative to fight cancer in a state that ranks among the worst in the nation for the disease.

Some 500 uninsured Kentuckians have already been screened for colon cancer through the initiative. That number is expected to reach 2,000 by next June.

Of those who have undergone colonoscopies, 25 percent were found to have pre-cancerous polyps that were removed to prevent the development of cancer.

The program is targeting uninsured Kentuckians between the ages of 50 and 64.

Related Content