The UNMC Eppley Cancer Center, a partnership between UNMC and NHS, held its third annual free cancer screening at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church social hall Sunday, April 28. Nearly 100 men and women participated in the screening.
Located on S. 23rd St., the screening event offered clinical breast cancer examinations, breast self-exam education, Prostate Specific Antigen testing, clinical prostate examinations and blood pressure checks. The event was free and open to the public.
More than 60 volunteers including doctors, translators, nurse practitioners, nurses, students and general employees were participated in the five-hour event.
According to Kenneth H. Cowan, M.D., Ph.D., director of the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center, it is part of the cancer center’s mission to increase cancer awareness within the Omaha community.
“The goal of this event is to promote cancer prevention and early detection,” Dr. Cowan said. “When cancer is found early it can be a very treatable disease.
“This event allows us to reach the community where they live,” Dr. Cowan said. “We are trying to provide this service in an easy, less intimidating environment for the participants. We hope this cancer screening will become a routine event for everyone.”
When necessary, participants were referred for further medical assistance. Female referred participants also were enrolled in the Every Woman Matters program, if required.
Every Woman Matters is a national program, which addresses the needs of uninsured women age 40 and up. The program is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. Services covered by the program include annual screening visits for pelvic and breast exams, follow-up exams, screening and diagnostic mammograms, aspirations and lab work. For more information or to enroll in Every Woman Matters contact Yolanda Burgos at the YWCA, 345-6555.
The next cancer center screenings (including PSA testing, sun scanner face examinations and cancer risk evaluations) will be offered at the 2002 Cattlemen’s Ball near Valpraiso, Neb., on June 1 and the Nebraska State Fair, Aug. 24 through Sept. 2, in Lincoln. For more information on cancer center events contact Kristi Warren Berger at 559-4232.