Prevention on the Go is designed to provide education and early detection services in locations where people live, work, worship, shop and play. Using our mobile medical clinic, the Cancer Center travels throughout Louisiana and Southwest Mississippi to serve thousands of participants each year.
This nationally-recognized program has a longstanding legacy of providing gold-standard and innovative early detection services. Since 2002, Prevention on the Go for the community has provided more than 100,000 screenings resulting in nearly 800 cancers detected.
Screening services are provided at no cost thanks to the generosity of the community. For information on Prevention on the Go’s community program, call (225) 215-1234.Â
Men and women starting at age 20 should have a general checkup every three years. Checkup may include examination for cancer of thyroid, oral cavity, skin, lymph nodes, testes, ovaries and cervix.
NOTE:
These guidelines are for people at average risk for cancer. Those with higher risk may need to be screened earlier. The above guidelines follow the American Cancer Society’s Screening (ASC) guidelines.Â
Risk Factors:
Some risk factors for breast cancer are not preventable, such as getting older, personal or family history of breast cancer or some non-cancerous breast diseases, while some risk factors can be associated with lifestyle choices. Not being physically active, being overweight or obese after menopause or drinking alcohol can increase your risk. If you have questions about potential risk factors in your life, talk with your doctor.
When to Get Screened:
Women should get a clinical breast exam at least every three years, starting in their 20s, and get an annual exam and mammogram starting at 40. Breast self-exam is an option beginning at age 20. See a doctor about any breast changes.
What to Expect:
A clinical Breast exam will be provided to women of all ages during these screenings. Mammograms will be available to women 40 and older who have not had a mammogram in the past 12 months. Insurance will be billed for mammograms. There will be no charge for women without insurance.
Risk Factors:
Fifty is the recommended age to begin colorectal cancer screening, unless there is a family history, in which case screenings should start earlier. Other factors such as obesity, sedentary lifestyle, smoking and the amount of intake of red meat can all increase the risk of colorectal cancer. Some families are more colorectal cancer-prone than others due to genetic predisposition to colorectal cancer, referred to as Lynch syndrome. Through genetic testing, Lynch syndrome, often called hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer, can be identified.
When to Get Screened:
Beginning at age 45, men and women should begin screening with one of the examination schedules below:
1. A colonoscopy every 10 years.
2. A flexible sigmoidoscopy (FSIG) every 5 years.*
3. A double-contrast barium enema every 5 years.*
4. CT Colonography (virtual colonoscopy) every 5 years*
5. An at-home, multiple sample Guaiac-based fecal occult blood test (gFOBT) or fecal immunochemical test (FIT) every year*
6. Stool DNA (sDNA), every 3 years*
*Colonoscopy should be done if test results are positive.
What to Expect:
Easy-to-use kits will be distributed. Men and women age 45 and older who have not been screened for colorectal cancer in the past 12 months. Does not replace a medical examination or other screening procedures.
Risk Factors:Â
Risk factors for lung cancer include smoking and secondhand smoke, radon and asbestos exposure and pollution. In addition, family history, cancer history and history of COPD or Pulmonary Fibrosis could put you at greater risk. High Risk Status Screenings are recommended for ages 55-74 with a smoking history of 30 pack years or more and less than 15 years of smoking cessation; and ages 50 or older with a smoking history of minimum 20 pack years with at least one additional risk factor other than secondhand smoke.
When to get Screened:
Your best chance at beating cancer is early detection. High Risk Status Screening Recommended for:
Take a self-assessment to see if you qualify for a screening. Contact your primary care physician for more information.Â
Risk Factors:
Most oral, head and neck cancers can be prevented. At least 75 percent of these diseases are caused by alcohol and tobacco, which are the two most important risk factors. Poor oral hygiene and missing teeth are risk factors for cancers of the oral cavity, and men are affected about twice as more as women with oral cancer. However, there is also a substantial focus on educating younger people. The Oral Cancer Foundation reports that the quickest growing segment of the oral cancer population is young, healthy, non-smokers due to the connection to the human papillomavirus (HPV). This means those with HPV need to know their risks and the warning signs for the disease.
When to get Screened:
The clinician should review the social, familial, and medical history and should document risk behaviors (tobacco and alcohol usage), a history of head and neck radiotherapy, familial history of head and neck cancer, and a personal history of cancer. Patients over 40 years of age should be considered at a higher risk for oral cancer.
What to Expect:
Oral cancer exams are painless, quick and take only a few minutes. During the exam, a doctor will check your face, neck, lips and entire mouth for possible signs of cancer.
Risk Factors:Â
There are some common risk factors for prostate cancer. About 6 out of 10 cases of prostate cancer are diagnosed in men 65 years or older. Having a father or brother with prostate cancer more than doubles a man’s risk of developing prostate cancer. There is also some evidence that a diet high in saturated fat puts men at greater risk. In addition, African-American men are more likely to be diagnosed at an advanced stage and are more than twice as likely to die from prostate cancer as caucasian men.
When to Get Screened:
Men, starting at age 50, should be offered a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test and a digital rectal exam (DRE) every year. To decide on testing, talk to your doctor about how you may or may not benefit from prostate cancer testing. Men with a close family member with prostate cancer before age 65 and African American men should be offered both tests and discuss pros and cons of testing beginning at age 45.
What to Expect:
Includes a PSA blood test and a physical exam performed by a physician. Available to men 45 and older who do not have a doctor or who have not been screened for prostate cancer in the past 12 months.
Risk Factors:
Certain physical features can be a risk factor such as a lighter natural skin color or skin that burns, freckles, reddens easily, or becomes painful in the sun; blue or green eyes; blond or red hair; or having certain types and a large number of moles. Other risk factors can include family or personal history of skin cancer, exposure to the sun through work and play, a history of sunburns, especially early in life, or a history of indoor tanning.
When to Get Screened:
Adult men and women should examine skin regularly and see a doctor to evaluate new growths or changes in existing growths.
What to Expect:
A visual exam will be performed by a physician. Available to those who have not had a physician perform a skin screening in the past 12 months.
Time and cost. People often cite these as reasons they don’t participate in cancer screenings.
Our Prevention on the Go Workplace program is designed to specifically eliminate these barriers and bring key preventative and early detection measures to employees at work, providing a mix of affordable and potentially life-saving curbside cancer screening services, engaging prevention –focused education events and real-time access to qualified medical resources.
Designed to easily integrate with existing wellness initiatives in the corporate setting, the Prevention on the Go Workplace program fills the gap in cancer prevention by offering cancer specific education and screenings that can help save lives and reduce employer and employee healthcare expenses.
Prevention on the Go is a meaningful way to show your organization’s commitment to employees’ health and well-being. Take the next step and let us help you bring this valuable service to your team.
For more information, contact a Prevention on the Go representative at (225) 215-1248 or prevention@marybird.com
Early detection education plays a vital role in catching cancer in its earliest stages, resulting in better outcomes when cancer is detected. We offer engaging prevention –focused education events, virtual or in-person, and early detection materials for your workplace or organization. Simply fill out the form below to request materials and a member from our team will be in contact.
Don’t let your fun in the sun turn into a burn! Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center is educating local youth about sun safety to help reduce chances of skin cancer as an adult.
Download these PDFs to learn about how you can protect your skin and reduce your chances for cancer later in life:
Fest for Life and Live Well attendees are able to take charge of their health by participating in these free community events. Events include cancer screenings for several different types of cancer, including breast, prostate, colorectal, skin and oral. Blood pressure checks, glucose checks, BMI screenings and stroke education is also available. These events are family friendly and offer entertainment and activities for all!
For more information, call (225) 215-1234 or find an upcoming event near you.
While routine cancer screenings are important in detecting potentially deadly cancers, keeping our participants and staff safe during COVID-19 is just as important. When you come to a screening, here’s what you can expect:
If you have delayed being screened during the pandemic, we encourage you to contact your provider to reschedule your appointment as soon as possible. Please contact your doctor regarding appropriate screening, or call us at (225) 215-1234.
Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center believes every person should have convenient access to prevention and early detection services – especially in our state, which consistently ranks high in cancer deaths.
In 2002, we launched a comprehensive program to provide prevention and early detection services to find cancer in its earliest stage when better outcomes are more likely. Together with partners, we screen people for breast, colorectal, oral, prostate and skin cancers throughout our 30-parish and county service area. These efforts are nationally recognized as best practices in outreach and are making a positive difference in lives across Louisiana and Southwest Mississippi.
Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center has expanded its Prevention on the Go cancer prevention, education and screening program to the Delta Region of Louisiana, which consists of a 12-parish area. Together, with a three-year grant from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation and other local supporting organizations, we are working to improve survivorship and lessen the burden of cancer for communities in this area of the state.
Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center has received notice of an award by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center is soliciting proposals from qualified vendors to design and build a fully stocked 40’, or more, 2024/25 mobile mammography clinic for use as a mobile medical clinic capable of supporting cancer screening services including mammography. The scope of this project is for the purchase of one (1) 3D Mammography (Breast Tomosynthesis) system.
Copies of the detailed request for proposals (RFP) can be obtained by clicking the “Learn More” button below or by contacting Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center at (225) 215-1227 or 4950 Essen Lane, Baton Rouge, LA 70809.
Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center’s RFP includes a description of the services to be provided by respondents; the minimum content of the responses; and the factors to be used to evaluate the responses. Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center reserves the exclusive right to reject, for any reason at its sole discretion, the proposal of any vendor.
For more information, please contact Renea Duffin at 4950 Essen Lane, Baton Rouge, LA 70809 or call (225) 215-1227. All responses to the Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center RFP must be submitted by October 11, 2024, by 5:00 P.M.
