Published in Aspects Magazine, Autumn 2016 | Vol. 39 No. 4 Fourteen-year-old Alyssa* is no ordinary teenager; she has dealt with more trauma in three years than many people will experience in a lifetime. At age 11, Alyssa lost her father after a long battle with cancer. Just a year later, she was sexually abused by her mother’s first love interest since losing her husband; and at 13, the young girl’s trauma was magnified when her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. She developed a fear of strangers and men, withdrew from her friends and experienced extreme anxiety. To help, Alyssa and her

A community health fair featuring free screenings for Staunton area residents will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 8, at the Community Memorial Medical Clinic, 325 N. Caldwell in Staunton. Simmons Cancer Institute (SCI) at SIU Medicine in Springfield, in partnership with Community Hospital of Staunton, will provide the free screenings for skin cancer and prostate cancer. Free home test kits for colorectal cancer will also be distributed during the morning event, which is made possible through funds from the Illinois Department of Public Health. A registered dietician will be on

A community health fair featuring free screenings for Staunton area residents will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 8, at the Community Memorial Medical Clinic, 325 N. Caldwell in Staunton. Simmons Cancer Institute (SCI) at SIU Medicine in Springfield, in partnership with Community Hospital of Staunton, will provide the free screenings for skin cancer and prostate cancer. Free home test kits for colorectal cancer will also be distributed during the morning event, which is made possible through funds from the Illinois Department of Public Health. A registered dietician will be on

March 9, 2017 The Regional Cancer Partnership of Illinois will distribute free colorectal cancer home test kits on several dates and locations during March to raise awareness about colorectal cancer. Though the kits are not a specific test for colon cancer, they can detect the presence of blood, which can be an indicator of several different medical conditions. The screening kit does not substitute for a colonoscopy, the best method to detect colorectal cancer. Regularly scheduled screenings in the form of colonoscopies can prevent cancer from developing if precancerous polyps are detected and

March 15, 2017 – Getting screened for head and neck cancer is as simple as opening your mouth and sticking out your tongue. The easy, painless five-minute exam will be offered free at Simmons Cancer Institute (SCI) at Southern Illinois University Medicine from 4:30 - 6 p.m. on Monday, April 3, and Monday April 24 at SCI, 315 W. Carpenter St., Springfield. Appointments for the free screening can be made by calling 217-545-7493 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays. Parking for the screenings is available in the parking lot adjacent to Simmons Cancer Institute, which is accessible from W. Carpenter

The Center for Clinical Research (CCR) at SIU School of Medicine is dedicated to bringing the latest advanced treatment options and technology to our patients. For more information about potential participation in clinical trials at SIU, please contact the Center for Clinical Research at 217-545-9700, or complete our online recruitment survey located here: Patient Recruitment Survey The information you provide in the recruitment survey may be used to contact you if a potential participation opportunity is identified. Your information will be retained in a confidential, secure database. At any