Your Health Matters, Too: Prioritize Cancer Screenings

Care is part of everyone’s job description at UMMC. Every day, we dedicate ourselves to advancing medicine through each of our three mission areas, caring for patients and doing work that helps Mississippians improve their lives and well-being. While focusing on the care of others, it can be easy to forget to prioritize our own health.

Today, I encourage you to schedule your recommended cancer screenings. Screenings like mammograms, colonoscopies, skin checks, pap tests, prostate exams or low-dose CT scans are vital for early detection and better outcomes. 

Early detection saves lives. When cancer is found early, treatment is often more effective and outcomes are significantly better. Breast cancer screening is a focus during October, but being up to date on cancer screenings should be a priority all year.

It’s just as important to listen to your body and speak with a physician if you notice any symptoms or changes that concern you. You know your body better than anyone. Don’t wait for your next routine check-up to raise a concern.

Cancer can affect anyone, from babies to retirees. This week’s Medical Center Matters story about Meaghan Odum, a breast cancer survivor who’s a patient at the UMMC Cancer Center and Research Institute, shows how important being aware of your health is. Her health awareness at the age of 38 resulted in prompt diagnosis and care.

Screening guidelines vary depending on your age, gender, family history and risk factors. I urge each of you to speak with your primary care provider about what’s right for you.

At UMMC, we emphasize cancer prevention through the choices we make each day, detection, education and holistic care — not just for our patients, but for ourselves and our families as well. Cancer is a priority in UMMC 2030, a five-year strategic plan that includes advancements in cancer services and research among our goals.

Taking care of your health isn't just a personal responsibility. It influences the health of others by setting an example for those around us and touches the lives of everyone we love, including our families, friends and colleagues.

Let’s look out for ourselves as we look out for others, and together we’ll move toward A Healthier Mississippi.