July 22, 2005
Colossal Colon Invades Genesis Health And Fitness Expo
Davenport, IA – A 40-foot colon replica with appropriately sized polyps is intended to amuse, educate and ultimately, save lives.
The Colossal Colon, a crawl-through replica of a human colon, is the creation of Molly McMaster, a colon cancer survivor who was diagnosed with the disease on her 23rd birthday. The Colossal Colon, called Coco, will be a feature of the Genesis Health and Fitness Expo on Thursday, July 28 and Friday, July 29 at the RiverCenter in Davenport.
Coco – “It’s a girl colon,’’ says McMaster – will be open to the public on Thursday from 5-9 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m.-9 p.m. The Genesis Health and Fitness Expo is free and open to the public.
The Center for Digestive Health and Gastroenterology Associates P.C. of Bettendorf are sponsoring the Colossal Colon exhibit. Educational information will be available from the professionals of Gastroenterology Associates.
The Colossal Colon exhibit includes examples of healthy colon tissue, several non-cancerous diseases of the colon, polyps and various stages of colorectal cancer.
McMaster came up with the idea of the Colossal Colon as a way to honor the memory of her friend, Amanda Sherwood Roberts, who died of colon cancer at 27 years old. Coco was unveiled in 2002 and has been on display in more than 50 cities across the United States.
“My goal as a young colon cancer survivor and advocate has always been to raise awareness of the disease in younger people,’’ said McMaster. “The route I’ve always taken has been the craziest, most attention-grabbing one I find.’’
McMaster said she hears often from individuals who have seen or crawled through the Colossal Colon and have been motivated to seek a colon screening.
“The Colossal Colon is a unique way to emphasize an important health issue. We hope that the display will encourage everyone to ask their physician about when a screening is appropriate,’’ said William Davidson, M.D., a gastroenterologist with the Center for Digestive Health.
Colorectal cancer is the second-leading case of cancer death in the United States. This year, the American Cancer Society predicts that approximately 145,000 cases will be diagnosed and 56,000 will die of colorectal cancer.
However, colorectal cancer is also one of the most preventable cancers. More than 90 percent of all cases of colon cancer could be prevented through proper screening. Polyps that could eventually develop into cancer can be removed during a colonoscopy.
The Center for Digestive Health was established in 2004 as a joint venture between Gastroenterology Associates, P.C. and Genesis Medical Center. The state-of-the-art facility at 2222 53rd Ave. in Bettendorf provides patients and their families with a full spectrum of digestive health procedures and services.
