News release
Free cancer screenings will be held from 9 to noon Saturday, July 30, at the First United Methodist Church at 305 W. Seventh. The free cancer screenings are hosted by Hays Masonic Lodge No. 195, Masonic Cancer Alliance, and The University of Kansas Cancer Center. This community outreach event is free and open to the public. No appointments are necessary to participate in the screening event.
Lodge members and staff from MCA are teaming up with health professionals from the University of Kansas Medical Center to provide health services that include:
•Skin and Prostate Cancer Screenings
•Colon Cancer Take-Home Screening Kits
•Tobacco Cessation Information and More
Area Masons work with staff from the MCA, the outreach network of KU Cancer Center, and the Kansas Masonic Foundation to coordinate many of the free screening events that often draw several hundred attendees of all ages. According to Brooke Groneman, MCA outreach director, over 20,000 Kansas residents have attended the screenings since 2003.
According to the American Academy of Dermatology, approximately 9,500 Americans are diagnosed withsome form of skin cancer every day, and nearly 250 of those are diagnosed with melanoma, the deadliest skin cancer. The Centers for Disease Control reports that cancer is currently the second leading cause ofdeath in Kansas, and the region has higher than average rates of skin cancer compared to other parts of thecountry.
When it comes to the possibility of cancer, it is always better to catch a potential problem in the earliest stage possible. Anyone identified with a possible health concern at one of the free cancer screenings is advised by the screening team to follow up with his/her local physician.
For more information on the free cancer screening event in Hays, call Chris Neeley at 785-259-2067.