ST. LOUIS — Today on Show Me St. Louis Mary Caltrider sat down to discuss National Cancer Prevention month with Lindsay Peterson, MD, MSCR, a Washington University medical oncologist at Siteman Cancer Center. Although cancer deaths are falling, there may be an asterisk. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS) new annual report, cancer death rates are down, which may be because of the decline in smoking, early detection, and greatly improved treatments. But at the same time, the number of new cancer cases had ticked up to more than two million in 2023, from 1.9 million in 2022. Cancer remains the second leading cause of death in the United States, after heart disease. The ACS found increases in the incidences of many cancers, including cancers of the breast, the prostate, the uterus, the colon and rectum in middle-aged adults and more – even melanoma incidence rates increased.
Dr. Peterson highlighted steps you can take in our own life right now to help prevent cancer and stay healthy. Siteman has an online tool that will help you assess your risk of breast cancer and other cancer types, and will suggest ways to lower your risk. It’s available at YourDiseaseRisk.com.
Additionally Dr. Peterson mentioned upcoming volunteer opportunities at Siteman Cancer Center. Volunteers at the Siteman Cancer Center make an important difference in the lives of patients treated for cancer and their families. A variety of volunteer opportunities are available at Siteman. Volunteers may choose opportunities that have direct patient contact, such as working on an inpatient oncology unit or helping in a treatment area. Other opportunities have limited or no patient contact, including assisting in an administrative area. If you’re interested in becoming a Siteman volunteer, please CALL: 314-393-5782 or VISIT: siteman.wustl.edu/volunteering
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