Photos courtesy of the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation.
A mobile cancer screening unit will be rolling through the region this summer, starting in Dryden.
The Screen for Life Coach is a mobile cancer screening services offered through a partnership with the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, offering free breast, cervical and colon cancer screens in 75 locations across northwestern Ontario this year.
The coach is coming to the Dryden Regional Health Centre between April 4 and 20, before making their way throughout the region. They’ll also be back in Dryden between July 26 and August 9, as well as September 20 to 26.
“Women between the ages of 50 and 74 should have a mammogram every two years to screen for breast cancer,” explains Lori Hamilton, Mobile Coach Coordinator. “PAP tests [should take place] for cervical cancer every three years.”
Breast screening is available for women between the ages of 50 and 74, and cervical screening is available for anyone with a cervix between the ages of 25 and 70 who have ever been sexually active.
Colon cancer take-home screening kits are also available for anyone between the ages of 50 and 74 with no direct family history of colon cancer.
Residents can get more information and book their appointments by calling 807-684-7777.
Hamilton notes the coach also offers weekend and evening appointments, and they will do their best to accommodate walk-ins. And if you do not fall within the specified age ranges, talk to your healthcare provider about your screening options.
