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Cancer awareness is a widely advertised topic and though it’s known to change lives, sometimes prevention is not typically the first thing on a person’s mind.
For members of the military, resiliency is crucial. Health is a top priority because if a military member is not healthy, they are not performing at their best potential.
Military members have busy schedules and often may not take the time out of their day to make their own health a main priority. Self-examinations are important, as they are usually the first sign of possible cancer. Maj. Tonya Mial, 86th Medical Group health care integrator, said knowing what your body feels like when you’re healthy will help you with early detection.
“We encourage women over the age of 50 to have their mammograms, and we encourage women at the age of 21 to have their cervical cancer screenings, and women and men over the age of 50 to have their colorectal screenings,” Mial said. “Just because we are tracking and monitoring those three doesn’t mean the others aren’t as important and aren’t being tracked as they develop.”
It is often said how important it is to have these check-ups, but unfortunately for some, it doesn’t become relevant until it’s too late. Taking the time out of the day to get a screening could save that person’s life.
According to www.news.yale.edu, an estimated half a million cancers were prevented by colorectal cancer screening in the U.S. from 1976 to 2009.
There are many ways to schedule a screening. Patients can self-refer or have their primary care provider give them a referral. MiCare is a way to speak to a doctor in confidentiality instead of relaying the message through the appointment line.
“On MiCare, a patient can send a personal message to their provider,” Mial said. “We encourage patients to use their personal email because they may not always have access to a government computer during an emergency. This way, for example, if the patient ends up in the hospital while they are on leave in another country, they have a way to contact their provider.”
Appointments can be booked through www.tricareonline.com as well as through the appointment line at 479-2273. For breast cancer screenings, call the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center mammography department at 590-6331. Colorectal cancer screenings can be scheduled through LRMC’s automated system. Follow the prompts to the gastroenterology clinic at 590-5762. For cervical cancer screenings, schedule with your primary care provider.
