Make Sure to Get Screened! September is Prostate, Ovarian, and Gynecologic Awareness Month

Matt Brooks: [00:00:00] X101 Always Classic. I am Matt Brooks in for another Cancer Prevention Segment with the CSP Program of Cayuga, Cortland and Tompkins Counties. And back in the studio with me, Courtney Maxson, Senior Public Health Educator from the Cortland County Health Department. It’s hard to believe it’s already September schools back in session and well, there is actually a lot of, uh, awareness months for September, including Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness Month, Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month and Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month. And what would you, uh, what, what kind of, uh, cancers would you like to talk about today? 

Courtney Maxson: Let’s focus a little bit on gynecological, ovarian, and prostate cancers. The others are very important too.

It’s very important to continue to have regular checkups with your doctor, and if something isn’t feeling right, get that checked out. 

Matt Brooks: Right, but with specifically with, uh, gynecologic, ovarian, and prostate. Those are ones that you, again, you go to your [00:01:00] doctor, you get screened for it, but those are ones that you need specific screenings for compared to just a regular checkup.

Courtney Maxson: Right. So men, prostate cancer screening is really important. Uh, talk with your doctor about your family history and other personal histories that may contribute to prostate cancer, uh, symptoms and signs. However, uh, the standard of practice is starting around 55. 

Matt Brooks: Yep. 

Courtney Maxson: Um, so that’s really what we’re looking for. Make sure you’re going to the doctor getting screened for prostate cancer because prostate cancer is really slow growing typically, and it’s usually more of a “watch and wait” kind of cancer. 

Matt Brooks: You say 55, but more importantly is that family history ’cause if you can get a jump on it early; again, it saves you a, a lot of pain down the road.

Courtney Maxson: Absolutely. And making sure if there’s any issues or any signs or symptoms of prostate cancer previous to 55, definitely get into your doctor to get checked out. 

Matt Brooks: Now speaking of getting [00:02:00] checked out, as I mentioned, school is back in session. It is September. Holidays, uh, gonna be here before we know it, it’s just getting more busy and, uh, Courtney uh, health is important. If you had to say like what you need to do before the year is up, if you haven’t done so already, what do you need to do? 

Courtney Maxson: Absolutely. The year is, I know, starting to wind down in these next few months with the holidays, but you, if you have health insurance, use it. Get that screening, get your screenings done, get your physical done. If you don’t have health insurance, give me a call. We can get you in the right direction either with, uh, health insurance marketplace, uh, cancer screening program for cancer services, or just, you know, give you information about, uh, local physicians that could see you.

Matt Brooks: And, uh, before, uh, we head outta the studio, Courtney, that phone number or, uh, maybe a website if people aren’t ready to call. 

Courtney Maxson: Absolutely. Uh, you can always contact us on our [00:03:00] contact sheet for, um, Cancer Services at our Cortland County Health Department website page. Uh, there’s a phone that you click and then you can fill out the form online.

You don’t have to talk to me, or you can give me a call at (607) 758-5523. 

Matt Brooks: And, uh, just to stay for the record. You’re a pleasure to talk with. 

Courtney Maxson: Thank you so much. 

Matt Brooks: All right, well, we’re gonna wrap up another, uh, segment. We’ll see you in gosh, October. 

Courtney Maxson: Oh boy. 

Matt Brooks: Get the pumpkins ready, uh, to carve some jack-o-lanterns in the studio.

But for now, thank you for joining me in the studio today, Courtney. 

Courtney Maxson: Thank you so much. Matt Brooks: And that’s another Cancer Prevention Segment here on X101 Always Classic.