Mayor Chooses Colonoscopy Over Evanston City Council Meeting

EVANSTON, IL - Evanston Mayor Stephen Hagerty will be absent from the December 14 Evanston City Council meeting as he prepares for an even more important obligation: getting a preventive colorectal cancer screening as recommended for adults over age 50.

According to the CDC, regular screening is the key to preventing colorectal cancer. Screening tests, including colonoscopies, can detect colorectal cancer early, when treatment is most effective.

"When it comes to your bottom, staying healthy should be at the top of everyone’s agenda," Mayor Hagerty said.

Having turned 50 in 2018, the Mayor admits he found excuses to put off the procedure. He now acknowledges the importance of seeking preventive, routine and emergency health care, even during a pandemic.

“Delaying or avoiding important health care treatments and exams, including colonoscopies, can lead to outcomes far worse than having a camera tour your large intestine,” Mayor Hagerty said. “Medical offices and hospitals are following strict health and safety guidelines, so those in need of care should be comfortable visiting, even for procedures that make us uncomfortable.”

Avoiding care could cause individuals to miss opportunities for management of chronic conditions, receipt of routine vaccinations, or early detection of new conditions, which might worsen outcomes, according to the CDC.

“When Mayor Hagerty said he’d rather have a colonoscopy than take part in the next City Council meeting, I thought he was just blowing hot air,” Evanston resident and cancer survivor Matt Rodgers said. “But taking care of ourselves is something we should all take seriously."

Despite advances in colonoscopy video technology, the mayor’s procedure will NOT be streamed live on the City’s Facebook page or on City Channel 16.

For more information about colorectal cancer screenings, residents may visit cdc.gov/cancer/colorectal/basic_info/screening or consult their health care provider.

This news release was produced by the city of Evanston. The views expressed here are the author's own.