Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center’s Live Well Baton Rouge event (formerly known as Fest for Life) will be held on May 14 from 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. on Spanish Town Road in front of the Louisiana State Capitol. This free community event, part of the Cancer Center’s Prevention on the Go program, will allow residents to take advantage of four different types of cancer screenings, including breast, prostate, colorectal, and skin cancer. Blood pressure, cholesterol, and glucose checks will also be available.
Appointments are required for screenings. Call (225) 425-8034 to schedule an appointment. If an abnormality is found, a nurse navigator will assist screening participants with next steps.
Event participants are also encouraged to arrive early for Geaux Yoga. April Hill with Yoga 90 studio will kick off Live Well Baton Rouge with a free yoga class.
“We are so excited for this year’s Live Well Baton Rouge event,” said Heather Johnson, director of early detection and education, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center. “Early detection is so important when it comes to treating cancer. In fact, when you find cancer in its earliest stage, you drastically improve your chances of successful treatment. We believe empowering residents with the tools and information they need to take charge of their health will play an important role in helping our community triumph over cancer.”
Research has shown that, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many people across our country have skipped routine cancer screenings and other regularly scheduled preventive care services. For Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, community events such as Live Well Baton Rouge serve as an important means to conduct outreach, raise awareness, and provide general health education and resources.
“According to a recent study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association, across our country nearly 10 million routine cancer screenings were skipped due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Daniel LaVie, MD, medical oncologist, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center. “Here in Baton Rouge, our team noted a significant drop off. We have some catch up work to do, so I encourage everyone in our community to come out and take advantage of our Live Well Baton Rouge event.”