The Prevent Cancer Foundation Blog » mammogram http://blog.preventcancer.org Information about Foundation events and interests. Fri, 17 May 2013 16:28:15 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 Cancer Queens Use “Edutainment” to Promote Screening and Awareness http://blog.preventcancer.org/2011/cancer-queens-use-edutainment-to-promote-screening-and-awareness/ http://blog.preventcancer.org/2011/cancer-queens-use-edutainment-to-promote-screening-and-awareness/#comments Thu, 15 Dec 2011 18:16:09 +0000 Jim http://blog.preventcancer.org/?p=5892 Envision a group of women donning feather boas and rhinestone tiaras, dancing to the sound of “The Loco-motion” while singing the lyrics, “Every woman needs this lifesavin’ test now. Come on baby, go and get your Pap smear.” These 10 lovely ladies are a part of Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center’s Cancer Queens! A Cancer Prevention Musical Revue!

This traveling troupe of professional health educators volunteer to perform a 45-minute, live show featuring skits and song and dance routines set to popular music with new educational lyrics. The Cancer Queens have had little training other than singing in the shower and watching themselves dance in the mirror at home.

The “edutainment” group is on a mission to inspire women to treat themselves like queens and take care of their health. Mattie Bates, a breast cancer survivor and Cancer Queen, said that the group tries to empower women to take care of themselves against cancer.

Audience members have approached me after performances to discuss their diet and exercise routine as well as telling me they were definitely going to make appointments to get their mammogram and Pap test.

We have had many people write on their evaluations that they wish all women could see our show to hear our message.

With Prevent Cancer Foundation’s grant-funded support, Cancer Queens has been able to travel to rural communities across Middle Tennessee to encourage women to get their screenings as well as live healthier lives.

Cancer Queens is part of the Nashville, Tenn. based Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, which is a National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center and is part of National Comprehensive Cancer Network. Learn more about Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center’s Cancer Queens.

]]> http://blog.preventcancer.org/2011/cancer-queens-use-edutainment-to-promote-screening-and-awareness/feed/ 0 Falling Mammography Rates Alarm Researchers http://blog.preventcancer.org/2011/falling-mammography-rates-alarm-researchers/ http://blog.preventcancer.org/2011/falling-mammography-rates-alarm-researchers/#comments Thu, 25 Aug 2011 12:00:56 +0000 Jim http://blog.preventcancer.org/?p=4835 In 2002, a U.S. government study found that women who used hormone therapy as a treatment for menopausal symptoms had an increased risk of developing breast cancer or heart disease, leading to a sharp drop in their use. This precipitated fewer visits to the doctor and fewer opportunities for reminders about mammograms, and, as a result, researchers found that mammography rates dropped in 2005 for the first time in nearly two decades. With fewer women over the age of 50 getting screened, health professionals fear that the small, easily treatable tumors that mammograms normally catch will go undetected and continue to grow bigger and deadlier. Follow the link below to read the full article at Bloomberg.

Mammogram Rates Declined After Women Gave Up Hormone Therapy

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