Early detection can save lives

Early detection can change the direction of cancer and, in some cases, save a life. That’s the message behind The Rapides Foundation’s new multimedia awareness campaign, Change Cancer’s Direction with Early Detection, which features Central Louisiana cancer survivors, family members and physicians sharing their personal stories and encouraging adults to stay up to date on recommended cancer screenings.

The six stories featured in the campaign have experienced cancer in different ways:

• Starr Maniece had cancer detected in its earliest stages through a mammogram performed on the CMAP Cancer Screening Mobile Unit.
• Dr. Lawrence Menache, an Alexandria-based radiation oncologist, educates the community about the importance of early detection.
• Sharon Nash, a breast cancer survivor, delayed her own cancer screening until her physician insisted she schedule a mammogram.
• Wendy Roy, CMAP executive director, had her breast cancer found early and still treatable because of a routine mammogram.
• Rev. Larry R. Turner knows the pain of losing a loved one to cancer found too late.
• Tracey Wrisper used the CMAP Cancer Screening Mobile Unit when she lost her insurance, knowing that continuing her yearly cancer screening would give her “peace of mind.”

“I say prevention is the key,” Maniece says in her video. “I never missed a mammogram, but when they found a lump, it was in its early stages. I put myself in the hands of God and my doctors. Today, I am well and spreading the word. Always get your cancer screening. It is so important.”

The Rapides Foundation’s cancer screening awareness campaign is on billboards, social media, television and radio stations through October. View their stories on YouTube.

The Rapides Foundation unveiled the Cancer Screening Project in 2009 as part of its Healthcare Access Initiative in response to a 2005 Community Health Assessment that found too many Central Louisiana residents were not getting screened for breast, cervical and colorectal cancers.

Early detection can improve treatment outcomes, and regular screening offers the best opportunity to find certain cancers before they become more difficult to treat.

Current screening recommendations are as follows:

• Women ages 40-64: Digital mammography
• Women ages 25-64: HPV cervical screening
• Women ages 45-64: Colorectal cancer screening
• Men ages 45-64: Colorectal cancer screening

One convenient resource for individuals needing access to free breast, colorectal and cervical screenings is the Cancer Screening Mobile Unit, a digital mammography unit that travels throughout Central Louisiana, serving residents on Medicaid or with no insurance who meet the income requirements. The mobile unit is a partnership between The Rapides Foundation, CMAP and the Partners in Wellness Program at Feist-Weiller Cancer Center at LSU Health Shreveport.

Call your doctor today to schedule your cancer screening, or visit cmaprx.org for more information about free cancer screenings.