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UF Mobile Outreach Clinic offers free colonoscopies

The University of Florida College of Medicine's Mobile Outreach Clinic will be providing free colonoscopies tomorrow, as it does every Saturday, for low-income and uninsured adults.

"The colonoscopy is one way to look for colon cancer and to find it early, but it's also a way to prevent colon cancer all together, unlike other screening cancer tests like mammograms for breast cancer or PSAs for prostate cancer," said Dr. Thomas George, director of Gastrointestinal Oncology Program in the division of hematology and oncology at UF.

George said the risk of colon cancer is highest to people between the ages of 50 and 75, and recommends colonoscopies shouldn't be delayed after those ages.

The screenings will take place tomorrow at the Wal-Mart SuperCenter at 1800 NE 12th Avenue in Gainesville.

The Mobile Outreach Clinic will be performing the colonoscopies every Saturday in March from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at local Wal-Mart stores.

"The intent with those is to find the cancer early," George said.

Audreyanna Loguerre contributed to this story. Sarah Brand edited this story online. 

Kelsey is a reporter who can be contacted by calling 352-392-6397 or emailing news@wuft.org.