From the Mayor’s Desk: Cancer Prevention Month – The Time is NOW

As we close out the month of February, it is important that we not let the month pass us by without recognizing that February is known nationally as Cancer Prevention Month—a time dedicated to raising awareness about reducing cancer risk, encouraging regular screenings, and promoting early detection. For Natchez, this month carries special meaning thanks to the many great organizations and volunteers in our region who work throughout the year to make a difference. From the Miss-Lou Relay for Life to Monica’s Hope, Joyce Washington Ivery’s “Hats and Glove” annual fundraiser to Merit Health’s collaboration with the City of Natchez each year for “Paint the Town Pink Day”, we are blessed to have so many who do so much to make a difference.

Words are inadequate to thank all in our healthcare community for all they do every day to save lives. And when speaking of life-saving partners, it goes without saying that having Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center and its dedicated staff in our city has been a game changer for our region.

Serving all of the Miss-Lou region, and areas even beyond the Miss-Lou, Mary Bird Perkins  provides access to high-quality cancer care for countless cancer patients. Providing advanced technology, compassionate staff and oncology specialists, and comprehensive treatment options to our region has been both convenient and life-saving. Patients who once had to travel long distances for radiation therapy and other services can now receive expert care right here at home, close to family, friends, and church.

Mary Bird Perkins has significantly invested in the latest cancer treatment technology available, committing over $1 million in recent years to upgrades that now deliver state-of-the-art services . And through  community outreach programs and screening opportunities, such as the “Live Well” event coming to the Natchez Bluff on April 11, MBP has made free testing available for countless Natchez residents, allowing for the early detection of serious cancers, free of charge.

While February is officially Cancer Prevention Month, we should be at work every day to help spread the message that while not all cancers are preventable, many risks can be reduced. Lifestyle choices such as maintaining a healthy weight, staying physically active, avoiding tobacco, limiting alcohol, and protecting skin from excessive sun exposure all play a significant role in lowering cancer risk.

Prevention, however, goes beyond healthy habits. Regular medical checkups and recommended screenings are critical for detecting cancer early, often before symptoms even appear, extending life spans as survival rates are increased.

For women, routine mammograms can detect breast cancer early enough for treatment and life-saving measures to be applied. Similarly, cervical cancer screenings can detect precancerous conditions before cancer even develops.

For men, regular screenings are equally important. Prostate cancer, one of the most common cancers among men, often grows slowly and may not show symptoms right away. Early detection can truly save lives. Waiting for symptoms to develop can make detection too late for effective treatment, severely inhibiting a man’s prognosis for survival.

Colonoscopies are equally important for both men and women in ruling out early evidence of colorectal cancer, in addition to removing polyps that can in time become cancerous. Again – waiting on symptoms to appear can severely limit treatment options. Early detection is key to survival.

Cancer Prevention Month is a powerful reminder that knowledge, prevention, and early detection save lives. The time is NOW. Through regular checkups and timely screenings, both men and women can dramatically lengthen their lifespans and overall chances of survival. And with devoted organizations and volunteers working to find a cure, along with trusted institutions like Merit Health, Mary Bird Perkins, and other local physicians, hospitals and healthcare heroes working every day to save lives, we can beat cancer—not just in February, but all year long.

If you haven’t been screened lately, make plans to get your screening done today.   Hope is a real thing. Many great stories of survival are being shared every day. And more great stories have yet to be shared. Because Natchez Deserves More.