SSM Health Good Samaritan Hospital - Mt. Vernon issued the following announcement on Feb. 5.
A lot has changed due to COVID-19, and now is the time to take care of yourself and your loved ones. SSM Health Surgeon Dana Henkel, MD, is here to remind you to keep up with regular cancer screenings.
You know those questions your healthcare team asks and the routine blood tests at your annual checkup? In healthcare, we use those regular screenings to detect a problem early when it can be easier to treat. Cancer is one of the things that is crucial to catch early. Prostate cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, oral cancer, lung cancer and others can be part of routine screening for most of us depending on our medical history.
“It’s important we pick up on things early,” Dr. Henkel said. Early detection, even when you don’t have symptoms, increases the chance of successfully treating a cancer.
One concern healthcare professionals had about the COVID-19 pandemic was that people would delay appointments and screenings due to safer-at-home orders and misperceptions about the safety of a visit to a healthcare provider.
“It is really hard during the pandemic. People don’t want to be going out and doing extra things but it’s important to try to stay on your screening regimen,” Dr. Henkel said.
Delays can cause providers to miss the window for early detection and ultimately lead to a diagnosis of cancer that’s more advanced. Unfortunately, we’re seeing more advanced disease in cancer treatment clinics across the United States.
When cancer begins, like COVID-19, it’s an invisible enemy --it’s there and it must be dealt with. Start a conversation with your healthcare provider, because cancer won’t wait. It is safe to return to annual checkups and cancer screenings at all SSM Health clinics. We have extensive safety precautions and infection control measures in place at all our facilities to limit the risk of exposure and keep everyone safe.
Take control of your health today and make an appointment; it’s good peace of mind. If you live in Wisconsin, you may call 1-800-247-3326 to schedule an appointment for your regular screenings. In other regions, learn more about our SSM Health Cancer Care program online.
Original source can be found here.
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