June is Cancer Survivor Month, Hear About Cancer Survivors on this Months Cancer Prevention Segment

Matt Brooks: [00:00:00] Good morning. I’m Matt Brooks on X 1 0 1 oh Ways Classic in for another cancer prevention summit with the CSP program of Kea Cortland in Tompkins Counties. And back with me in the studio, Courtney Maxon, senior public Health educator from the Cortland County Health Department. Hard to believe, we’re already halfway through the year.

Courtney Maxson: I can’t believe it.

Matt Brooks: It’s June. We had six months left till, uh, till 2026. We’re gonna have to do holiday shopping before we know it, but right now it is. June and there’s two important topics that we’re gonna be covering today. First off, national Cancer Survivor Month and Men’s Health Month. Now, Courtney, can you tell me about National Cancer Survivor Month?

What’s that all about?

Courtney Maxson: So this is a month where we celebrate the achievements of all the people that have gone through cancer treatment and, um, our surviving and have hopefully come through this, um, difficult journey. Um, also people who are still fighting. Cancer and going through treatments. Uh, we wish you, um, good health and wellness and definitely, [00:01:00] um, coming through on the other side and, and really getting, uh, and beating this.

Matt Brooks: Yeah, it’s, I mean, that’s a thing. It’s an ongoing and tough journey that no one chooses to go on, but they’re. Forced into it when they, uh, they get that diagnosis. So best health to those fighting cancer currently. And really, uh, if you know somebody who survived cancer, give ’em a hug today. I mean, if, if, if you see ’em.

Courtney Maxson: Absolutely. So congratulations to all of those who have. Beaten cancer and, and their families for their support.

Matt Brooks: Now, the other topic, and this one’s more of a a, it’s a tough one because the, one of the hardest things for men to seem to do is to go to the doctor, and that’s one of the reasons why Men’s Health Month exists.

Yes. Statistically, and I mean, I, I, I, I make this as a joke, but statistically it, I mean. There, there’s a high percentage of men who just don’t go and see the doctor.

Courtney Maxson: Statistically, men are less likely to see, see the doctor unless [00:02:00] there is a, um, warranted health issue. Yeah. Or an emergency, it tends to be. So we really wanna encourage men.

Um, this is June is your month. Let’s encourage you to go to the doctor. If you haven’t been for a while, go to your primary care. If something feels off, definitely go. Uh. It’s my time to really, you know, uh, encourage colon cancer screening. Yep. Um, prostate cancer screening, if you haven’t, uh, had that done.

It’s important, uh, especially starting, uh, 45 years of age for colon cancer screening and uh, 45 to 55 starting the prostate cancer screening too.

Matt Brooks: Yeah, and that’s, I mean, all stuff that’s covered in your general checkups to a, to a degree, and especially when you get older, like colonoscopies and. All that with you.

Courtney Maxson: Yes. And if you have health insurance, those are preventative measures that you can take that most, if not all insurance, uh, companies and [00:03:00] programs will cover. So definitely take care of your health. That’s important.

Matt Brooks: And for more information, we are running outta time, but I mean, you’d mentioned that. Uh, most insurances will cover preventative, but for those who may not have insurance or wanna learn more before stepping into the doctor’s office, maybe, uh, maybe they haven’t been to a doctor in so long, they don’t have a primary care physician.

If they need help organizing all that out, where should people go?

Courtney Maxson: Uh, you can call me at, uh, the Cortland County Health Department at 6 0 7 7 5 8 5 5 2 3. We do offer free colon cancer screening for, uh, men in 40 to. 45 to 64 years of age that don’t have health insurance. So if you’re 45 years of age and older, give us a call.

Matt Brooks: Alright, well thank you Courtney for stopping by and uh, I guess I’ll see you in July. See you in July. Alright, this has been X 1 0 1 oh Ways Classic and other cancer prevention segment. I am Matt Brooks.