Today is the day to celebrate the men in your life by encouraging them to protect their health by scheduling cancer screening tests. Screening tests are designed to find cancer before a person has any signs or symptoms.

The Louisiana Legislature finds colorectal cancer to be so important they passed House Concurrent Resolution No. 67 during the 2014 legislative session with the intention of bringing key stakeholders together to strategize interventions to reduce the high burden of colorectal cancer in Louisiana. The result was the formation of the Louisiana Colorectal Cancer Roundtable (LCCRT). Dr. Jerry McLarty, director, cancer prevention and control at Feist-Weiller Cancer Center, is a founding member of LCCRT. The 2017 report by LCCRT to the Louisiana Legislature can be found at www. louisianacancer.org.

The National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable has a goal of 80 percent of the eligible population being screened by 2018, indicating the tremendous importance of cancer screenings in saving lives and reducing the cost of healthcare.

Regular screenings are critical in catching some cancers early, when they’re small, have not spread, and are easier to treat. With colon cancer, some screening tests can even help prevent cancer from developing in the first place.

Colon cancer

• Between 2009-2013, Louisiana had the third highest incidence rate in the nation for colorectal cancer, and was fourth in the nation for mortality rates

• Men should start screening at age 50, or earlier if they have a family history of colon or rectal cancer or colon problems that raise their risk.

• Some screening tests can find growths called polyps, which can then be removed before they turn into cancer. All of the tests used can help find colon and rectal cancer earlier, when treatments are more likely to be successful.

• There are several different tests that screen for colon and rectal cancer. Talk to your doctor about when you should start and which tests might be right for you.

Prostate cancer

• Starting at age 50, men should talk to their doctor about the pros and cons of prostate cancer testing, and then decide if they want to be tested. PSA blood testing is the recommended first step for prostate cancer screening, not a rectal exam.

• Men at high risk (African-American men and those with a family history of the disease) should have this talk at age 40 or 45.

Lung cancer

• Men ages 55 to 74 who are or were heavy smokers should talk to a doctor about whether a low-dose CT scan to screen for lung cancer is right for them.

• People who have never smoked or who quit long ago can and do get lung cancer, but for them the risks of screening usually outweigh the benefits.

Skin cancer

• Men should be aware of all moles and spots on their skin, and report any changes to a doctor right away. A skin exam should be part of regular health check-ups.

Diagnostic Services Feist-Weiller Cancer Treatment Center provides three important steps to each patient: clinical presentation where symptoms are documented, a pathological (laboratory) diagnosis with review of patient samples (blood, bone marrow, lymph glands, spleen or other tissues), and the implementation of appropriate treatment.

Following the clear definition of the pathological diagnosis, appropriate treatment is identified and started. To achieve this end, standard laboratory instrumentation including automated methodologies, microscopy, laser-based flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry, cytochemistry, molecular diagnostics and chromosome analysis (karyotyping) are used.

This team is composed of medical technologists, allied scientists and pathologists. Using the above technologies, the team generates a pathology report based on observations at the cellular and molecular level. Once the clinician receives the report, appropriate treatment is ready to begin.

Feist-Weiller Cancer Center has a complete array of diagnostic services to determine the best course of treatment and monitor progress and is one of a limited number of centers offering CT lung cancer screening. The close relationship with the academic resources at LSU Health Shreveport ensures the latest technologies are available to patients.

Patient Resources Feist-Weiller Cancer Center provides multiple resources for cancer patients and caretakers. Learn about cancer, tips for cancer prevention, advanced testing for cancer, and cancer treatment at feistweiller. org.

The library on the first floor at Feist- Weiller Cancer Center distributes free information about different cancers to help patients and their families understand each disease. Call the library at 813-1016 to find the information you need.

Partners in Wellness Feist-Weiller Cancer Center sponsors the community-based Partners in Wellness health screening program that operates on a year-round basis. A mobile cancer screening unit is available locally and travels to rural communities providing them with adequate access to cancer prevention and early detection initiatives. Partners in Wellness cancer screening is free to financially qualified uninsured or under-insured individuals. Screening tests for prostate, colorectal cancer are offered. The goal of the program is to reduce the burden of cancer in Louisiana through early detection and prevention. Partners in Wellness aims to promote good health through routine screening exams and education. To make a screening appointment or to receive more information, call 813-2225 or 1-800-582- 4523.

Don’t delay scheduling a cancer screening, as the life you save could be yours or that of a loved one.