July is National Sarcoma & Bone Cancer Awareness Month

Matt Brooks: Good morning, I’m Matt Brooks on X101 Always Classic, in for another edition of The Cancer Prevention Segment with the CSP program of Cayuga, Cortland, and Tompkins Counties. With me in the studio, Courtney Maxson, Senior Public Health Educator from the Cortland County Health Department. Cannot believe it’s already July.

Courtney Maxson: I cannot believe it.

Matt Brooks: And just a few days from now, we got Independence Day, celebrating 250 years, but July is also Sarcoma and Bone Cancer Awareness Month. Can you tell me a little about this variety of cancer?

Courtney Maxson: It’s a cancer that typically happens in younger people, in teens. It’s definitely important for parents to keep an eye on your kids, listen to them if they are having any type of bone pain that may seem abnormal. It’s time to go to the doctor, coming up anyway with those health screenings and yearly physicals for school. If you haven’t scheduled your child’s yearly physical before school, time to do it.

Matt Brooks: We’re already what, a third through the summer vacation? You got July and August. If you haven’t scheduled those yearly physicals, check-ins for your child, do so because it’s also kind of important to put that habit so when they do become adults, they continue to go to the doctor and don’t lapse on any monitoring of your health. Now, we talked about getting your child in for their required screenings and physicals, but this is also a good opportunity, if you haven’t scheduled one yourself, to do it as well.

Courtney Maxson: Absolutely. Adults, moms and dads, neighbors, it’s time to also do their screenings as well. If it’s time for your mammogram or your cervical screening or your colon cancer screening, especially starting at the age of 45 for Colon Cancer screening, it’s time. Reach out to your doctor, your primary care, and see what you’re in need of.

Matt Brooks: And the great thing about this time of the year, since the weather is finally warmed up, there’s no snow on the ground—knock on wood—if scheduling an appointment on your own might be a bit difficult, you do have those opportunities around as well.

Courtney Maxson: Yes, there are plenty of mobile mammography vans around the counties and there’s also mobile health vans with Family Health Network and a mobile MOM van for cervical screening and prenatal information and screening through Guthrie too.

Matt Brooks: And I know we’re running a little out of time, Courtney, but we talked about a variety of ways to make sure someone sees the doctor. If they need a little help in that, maybe they don’t have health insurance and want to get screened, how do they contact you for more information and help?

Courtney Maxson: Right, if someone doesn’t have health insurance or they have a high-deductible plan, they can give us a call at 607-758-5523 or they can visit us on our website at cortlandcountyny.gov and type in “Cancer Services Program.” It’ll come right up to our page and they can apply online.

Matt Brooks: Sounds like a plan, got to thank you again for joining me, Courtney, and I am excited because it might be July now but there’s some great things coming in August.

Courtney Maxson: Absolutely, thank you.

Matt Brooks: This has been another edition of The Cancer Prevention Segment here on X101 Always Classic. I’m Matt Brooks.