Have you ever wished you’d done something sooner? Start a project, take that vacation to Hawaii, move into a retirement community? Get screened for cancer?
It might not be at the top of your "to do" list, but getting screened for cancer sooner could mean finding it at an earlier stage, when it's more treatable.
The Pennsylvania Medical Society has joined forces with the American Cancer Society, Pennsylvania Division, to spread the following message to as many Pennsylvanians as possible:
Cancer screenings save lives.
The bottom line is that when cancer is detected early, it’s more treatable and survival rates increase dramatically. But apparently many Pennsylvanians are still avoiding appropriate screenings.
A recent statewide Patient Poll conducted by the Medical Society’s Institute for Good Medicine found that:
- 44 percent of the respondents indicated that they had delayed or avoided a cancer-related test/screening because they were worried about what the results might be.
- 31 percent said they felt the test wasn’t really necessary.
- About 20 percent also selected concerns about time, pain, or embarrassment from the test as reasons to avoid or delay.
(Note: Totals exceed 100 percent because more than one answer could be selected. Thirteen percent of the total and 35 percent of those who avoided/delayed noted lack of insurance as a reason as well.)
“Our partnership with the American Cancer Society is a great way for both organizations to encourage our patients and the public in general to ‘Get Checked!’ Talk with your doctor about which screenings are right for you and do it sooner than later,” notes Peter Lund, MD, president of the Pennsylvania Medical Society and founder of its Institute for Good Medicine.
Brian Calabrese, DO, Lancaster, Pa., oncologist and volunteer leadership council member, Lancaster unit of the American Cancer Society, adds, “Taking the initiative to get screened for cancer is yet another way a patient can take some control over their healthcare. I can’t emphasize enough what a tremendous difference it makes when cancer is found early. It’s so much more treatable and in many cases, curable.”
The Medical Society and the American Cancer Society have developed the “checklist” below to prompt the doctor/patient discussion.
For more information about cancer screenings, visit www.cancer.org. Remember, cancer screenings save lives. It could be yours.