Georgia Cancer Specialists’ physicians, medical staff, and staff volunteers turned out in force to support the fourth annual Georgia Cancer Foundation’s Cancer Screening Day on April 27. The event was “a great success,” as more than 1,000 individuals took advantage of free screenings for breast, prostate, skin, colon, and oral cancers at Georgia Cancer Specialists’ clinics throughout central and northeast Georgia.
“With proper screening, 100 percent of colon cancer may be preventable,” says Dr. Bruce A. Feinberg, CEO of Georgia Cancer Specialists (GCS) and the Georgia Cancer Foundation’s chairman of the board. “Early detection of breast, prostate, skin, and colon cancers could cut the cancer death rate by 50 percent.”
Over 100 volunteer medical and dental professionals—supported by 148 volunteer staffers—performed over 2,000 screenings on 1,032 adults, and nearly 500 people were provided with take-home colon cancer screening kits as well. Georgia’s most comprehensive cancer screening event was available at 18 different locations throughout Atlanta, Macon, and northeast Georgia. At 10 locations, oral cancer screenings were performed and tobacco risk education was conducted.
GCS physicians who volunteered for the event included Daniel J. Carr, MD, Carlos M. Franco, MD, Wendy Hawke, MD, Padrica Hopkins-Menchion, MD, Pradeep Jolly, MD, Cheryl F. Jones, MD, Richard O. Loyd, DO, Celia C. Mamby, MD, Melvin R. Moore, MD, Deepti Munjal, MD, Vundyala V. Reddy, MD, Al Soltan, MD, Jorge A. Spinolo, MD, Stephen M. Szabo, MD, Franc Wallace, MD, and Laura L. Weakland, MD.
“Cancer Screening Day was a great success this year,” said Brenda Horne, Executive Director of Georgia Cancer Foundation. “We expanded our clinic locations to 18 from central to north Georgia. Participants were very appreciative to have such an opportunity available to them in their communities, especially those who had limited or no resources for health care. I’m proud that the Georgia Cancer Foundation sees this is event as an integral part of our mission.”
Participants are informed of abnormal exams on Cancer Screening Day and sent a confirmatory letter. PSA and hemoccult test results, which are used to screen for signs of cancer, are sent by mail as they are received from laboratories. Screenees are asked to provide the Georgia Cancer Foundation with an acknowledgment of the abnormal results notification as well as a follow-up plan for seeking future medical attention.
This year an estimated 31,600 Georgians will develop cancer and 13,700 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.
Georgia Cancer Specialists is the largest private oncology/hematology practice in the Southeast and a national leader in advanced cancer treatment and research. The practice offers community-based medical oncology, radiation oncology, and hematology services and is the first private oncology practice to also provide a full range of support services for patients in Georgia, including nutritional counseling, pain management, wellness counseling, and home health coordination. All physicians and employees are dedicated in delivering ethical, compassionate, and leading edge medical care for patients with cancer and blood disorders and to promote awareness of cancer prevention, quality of life during care, and treatment advances through education and research.
The event was possible due to the support of sponsors including The American Cancer Society, The Georgia Cancer Coalition, the Tobacco Use Prevention Units of Cobb and Douglas Counties Boards of Health, Fulton County Department of Health and Wellness, DHR Public Health District 5, District 2 Public Health, Aventis Oncology, Ortho Biotech Oncology, Immunex, Pharmacia Oncology, Georgia Cancer Specialists, and hundreds of physicians and volunteers.
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