Lake Providence, La. – Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, through its Prevention on the Go program, will host free breast and colorectal cancer screenings on Thursday, June 9 from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at Jong’s Supervalu, 217 N. Hood St. in Lake Providence. Residents from across East Carroll Parish and surrounding communities are invited to take advantage of this free cancer screening opportunity.
All screenings are available to those who have not been screened for cancer in the past 12 months. Appointments are required for all screenings. To make an appointment, please call (318) 414-9758. If an abnormality is found, a nurse navigator will assist screening participants with next steps.
“Early detection is key when it comes to treating cancer,” said Myra Gatling-Akers, regional manager, early detection and education, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center. “For this reason, we believe that every community deserves access to preventive care and cancer screenings. Our Prevention on the Go program enables us to bring early detection services to people right where they live. We encourage the community to come out and take advantage of this opportunity. These free screenings are available to residents so they don’t necessarily need to travel to Monroe or Jackson for care.”
The breast cancer screenings will be performed by a physician or nurse practitioner for women 18 and older. Mammograms will be available for women 40 and older who do not have a doctor and have not been screened in the past 12 months. Insurance will be billed for mammograms, but there will be no charge for women without insurance.
Take-home colorectal cancer screening kits will be distributed at colorectal cancer screening appointments. Men and women who have not been screened for colorectal cancer in the past 12 months are eligible. This does not replace a medical examination or other screening procedures.
Louisiana has one of the highest cancer mortality rates in the nation, and this is due to lack of access to care, delayed diagnosis and treatment, limited educational awareness and low utilization of preventative services. Through the Prevention on the Go program, the Mary Bird Perkins has provided over 100,000 screenings resulting in nearly 800 cancers detected.
If you would like to make an appointment or learn more about these screenings, please call us at (318) 414-9758. Learn more about Mary Bird Perkins and find other screening opportunities near you by visiting marybird.org/events.
About Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center
Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center is a regional cancer care organization that has been fighting cancer for more than 50 years. The cancer care organization provides care at eight centers in Baton Rouge, Covington, Hammond, Houma, Gonzales, and Natchez, Mississippi, and its service area encompasses southeast Louisiana and southwest Mississippi regions. Mary Bird Perkins has a strategic partnership with OneOncology and the largest radiation and medical oncology groups from across the area including exclusive partnerships with Southeastern Louisiana Radiation Oncology Group, which provides radiation therapy throughout Mary Bird Perkins’ service areas, Northshore Oncology Associates, serving St. Tammany and Washington Parishes, specifically the communities of Covington and Slidell and Louisiana Hematology Oncology Associates, which services the Greater Baton Rouge area. For more information, please visit www.marybird.org