ROWAN COUNTY, Ky. (LEX NEWS) — UK St. Claire is encouraging people to stay on top of recommended cancer screenings, including when they feel healthy, as the hospital prepares to offer breast, cervical and lung cancer screenings Saturday.
The screenings will be available from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at UK St. Claire's main campus, 222 Medical Circle in Morehead. Appointments are preferred, but walk-ins will be accepted.
UK St. Claire President and CEO Donald Lloyd said offering screenings on a Saturday is intended to make preventive care more accessible for people who may have difficulty scheduling an appointment during the work week.
"The important thing is, we know people are very busy," Lloyd said. "It's very difficult during a work week to schedule yourself for these kind of events, and so that's why we're offering it on Saturday."
For Adrian Swain, regular screenings became part of his health care after more than 50 years of smoking. Swain said he began getting screened regularly in 2020 and doctors noticed something that they continued to monitor.
"Initially the reports were that there was something noted there, but it was stable and it was repeatedly stable," Swain said.
That changed this fall.
Swain said a recent screening showed that the area had grown. He said he now has a Stage 2 tumor in his right lung and is looking toward surgery.
"The great thing is that I was able to catch it at an earlier stage," Swain said. "So being proactive and having screenings along the way on a regular basis is what has saved the situation for me."
Lloyd said regular screening can give health care providers more information over time by allowing them to monitor changes in abnormal findings. He stressed that an abnormal finding does not necessarily mean cancer.
"Not every abnormal finding is a malignancy," Lloyd said. "But to monitor the progression or the changes in those abnormal findings is very helpful to the clinicians to identify the appropriate course of treatment."
Lloyd also said some cancers can develop without noticeable symptoms, making recommended screenings important even for people who feel healthy.
"Many cancers manifest themselves with no symptoms, and by the time you are experiencing symptoms, you have an advanced stage cancer," Lloyd said.
Saturday's event coincides with Lung Cancer Awareness Month and National Lung Cancer Screening Day. Mammograms and cervical cancer screenings will be offered, along with low-dose CT lung cancer screenings for eligible patients.
People interested in scheduling a screening can call 606-783-7676 and select option 1. Walk-ins will also be accepted from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at UK St. Claire's main campus in Morehead.
Alex Barber is committed to covering stories in your community that matter to you. If you have an idea, reach out to him at alex.barber@wlex.tv
