Wednesday, April 25, 2001

Cancer screenings available this weekend

April is Cancer Control Month and Georgians have an opportunity to take action and participate in free colon, skin, breast, and prostate cancer screenings this Saturday, April 28, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.

Georgia's largest and most comprehensive screening event, sponsored by the nonprofit Georgia Cancer Foundation, will take place at 16 locations in north and central Georgia. Reservations for appointments are being accepted at 1-888-441-CURE (2873).

This year an estimated 31,100 Georgians will develop cancer and 13,600 will die from the disease. One Georgian is being diagnosed every 16 minutes and one will die of cancer about every 38 minutes. These numbers can be reduced with early detection, education and cancer screenings. Regular screening examinations by a health care provider can result in early detection of many cancers, when treatment is more likely to be successful.

"One hundred percent of colon cancer is preventable with proper screening," says Dr. Bruce A. Feinberg, CEO of Georgia Cancer Specialists. "Early detection of breast, prostate, skin and colon cancers could cut the cancer death rate by 50 percent."

Last year, more than 1,000 participants benefited from the free screenings. Four hundred people had positive findings, primarily for skin cancer, which has a growing incidence rate in the South.

"This event saves lives," says Brenda Horne, executive director for Georgia Cancer Foundation.

An oncologist, a urologist, and a dermatologist will be conducting physical exams for breast, prostate and skin cancers. In addition, women can undergo a computerized breast cancer risk assessment, and all qualified individuals will receive a special testing kit for colon cancer. All screening participants will receive product samples, nutrition information, cancer prevention tips, and educational materials from hundreds of informed volunteers.

The screenings are intended for adults who have not been diagnosed with cancer and have no known symptoms. Locations are throughout metro Atlanta, as well as in Toccoa, Gainesville, Macon and Milledgeville.

To make an appointment, call 1-888-441-CURE (2873) or register on the Internet at www.gacancerfoundation.org. This lifesaving event is made possible due to the support of Georgia Cancer Specialists, Aventis Oncology, Novartis Oncology, Ortho Biotech Oncology, Immunex, Pharmacia Oncology, and hundreds of physicians and volunteers.

Georgia Cancer Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing innovative cancer education to healthcare professionals and the community, early cancer screening, and support for cancer patients and their families. For more information, visit www.gacancerfoundation.org.

Cancer screening sites

Offices of Georgia Cancer Specialists

Alpharetta 3400 Old Milton Parkway, Bldg. C., Suite 535

Atlanta 478 Peachtree Street, Suite 320-A

Austell 1791 Mulkey Road, Suite 102

Conyers 1364 Wellbrook Circle

Decatur 2712 Lawrenceville Highway

Decatur 2675 North Decatur Road, Suite 701

Douglasville 4645 Timber Ridge Drive, Suite 120

Fayetteville 1250 Highway 54 West, Suite 102

Gainesville 200 South Enota Drive, Suite 460

Lawrenceville 601-A Professional Drive, Suite 260

Macon 330 Hospital Drive, Bldg. C., Suite 215

Marietta 790 Church Street, Suite 340

Milledgeville 624 Martin Luther King Drive

Northside 975 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 200

Riverdale 81 Upper Riverdale Road, Suite 220

Toccoa Falls Road Professional Park #3