Salina’s Tammy Walker Cancer Center will be the site of free cancer screenings Sept. 7.
The screenings will be held at the Tammy Walker Cancer Center, 511 S. Santa Fe, from 9 a.m. – noon. The event is open to the public. Thefree cancer screenings are hosted by Tammy Walker Cancer Center at Salina Regional Health Center, Salina Masonic Lodge No. 60, Midwest Cancer Alliance (MCA), and The University of Kansas Cancer Center (KUCC).
Lodge members and staff from MCA are teaming up with health professionals from the University of Kansas Medical Center and from Heartland Dermatology and Skin Cancer Center, PA, to provide health services that include:
- Skin Cancer Screenings
- Prostate Cancer Screenings
- Screen-to-Save Colon Cancer Home Screening Kits
- Body Mass Index (BMI) Assessments
Area Masons work with staff from the MCA, the outreach network of KUCC, and the Kansas Masonic Foundation to coordinate many of the free screening events that often draw several hundred attendees of all ages. According to Brooke Groneman, MCA outreach director, more than 10,000 Kansas residents have attended the screenings since 2003.
According to the American Academy of Dermatology, approximately 9,500 Americans are diagnosed with some form of skin cancer every day, and nearly 250 of those are diagnosed with melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.
The Centers for Disease Control reports that cancer is currently the second leading cause of death in Kansas, and the region has higher than average rates of skin cancer compared to other parts of the country.
“When it comes to the possibility of cancer, it’s always better to catch a potential problem in the earliest stage possible,” said KUMC dermatologist Rachel Pflederer, M.D. Anyone identified with a possible health concern at one of the free cancer screenings is advised by the screening team to follow up with his/her local physician.
To register for an appointment time or for more information on the free cancer screening event in Salina, call Daniel Craig at 785-452-4848.