Published: August 06, 2008 07:33 pm         

Colossal Colon on display at Indiana State Fair

Breast, prostate studies also included in education outreach

INDIANAPOLIS — This is one for the Indiana State Fair record books: A 40-foot-long, 4-foot-tall oversized model of the human colon that visitors can crawl through.

The Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center, in partnership with Clarian Health, is hosting the Colossal Colon in the Clarian Healthy Lifestyles Pavilion, on the southwest corner of the state fairgrounds in Indianapolis, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Aug. 17. The exhibit is free and open to the public.

“Coco,” as the Colossal Colon is affectionately known, is designed to educate people about colorectal cancer and other diseases of the colon. Visitors who crawl through Coco will see examples of Crohn’s disease, diverticulosis, ulcerative colitis, hemorrhoids, cancerous and non-cancerous polyps and various stages of colon cancer.

Coco includes examples of healthy colon tissue, several non-cancerous diseases of the colon, polyps and various stages of colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer found in men and women in America. The American Cancer Society estimates there will be about 108,070 new cases of colon cancer and 40,740 new cases of rectal cancer in 2008. Combined, they will cause 49,960 deaths.

Also during the fair, men and women can help IU Simon Cancer Center researchers unlock the mysteries of breast and prostate cancers by providing a small blood sample for two studies.

Men can give a blood sample from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Aug. 17 for a study called PROGRESS (PROstate Cancer – Genetic Risk Evaluation of SNPs Study), which seeks to identify genetic risk factors that contribute to the development of prostate cancer and response to therapy.

Meanwhile, representatives with the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Tissue Bank at the IU Simon Cancer Center will collect blood samples from women from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

By collecting blood from women with and without breast cancer, researchers will be able to determine the differences between these populations, which could lead to a better understanding of the disease. Blood samples taken from women without the disease are especially helpful because there are few collections of so-called “normal” specimens. The bank ultimately will give researchers valuable and unprecedented research data.

The blood collections take place in the Clarian Healthy Lifestyles Pavilion. Participants for each study will need to complete a questionnaire containing basic questions and a consent form.