DELAWARE RESIDENTS ENCOURAGED TO "SAVE YOURSELF" AND GET SCREENED FOR CANCER

GET SCREENED FOR CANCER - The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) and the Delaware Cancer Consortium today launched "Save Yourself," a new public awareness campaign to promote the lifesaving benefits of cancer screenings.

Delawareans can visit www.healthydelaware.org/saveyourself and complete a personalized "healthy checklist" to learn about recommended screenings based on age, gender, and family history, as well as how frequently to be screened. They can print out their checklist to discuss with their primary care physician, or choose to have a health specialist contact them directly to help them obtain the recommended screenings. The website also offers cancer prevention tips, and helps connect Delawareans with smoking cessation programs, information on buying healthy foods, and access to primary care physicians and vaccines.

Delaware Department of Health and Social Services Secretary Rita Landgraf said the "Save Yourself" campaign delivers a powerful message that screenings can save lives. "Delaware's cancer mortality rates have declined dramatically in the past 10 to 15 years, due in part to earlier detection and treatment," Landgraf said. "For example, three commonly diagnosed cancers - breast, cervical, and colorectal - can be detected in their earliest stages. This can make all the difference in treatment and prognosis."

Dr. Rishi Sawhney, a specialist in hematology/oncology at Bayhealth Medical Center, said early detection is an important part of a successful treatment process. "Most screenings are quick and painless, and are among the best tools we have to turn cancer patients into cancer survivors. If cancer is detected early, it makes a world of difference in treatment options and what courses of action are available to the patient."

Delawareans will be reminded to "Save Yourself" in many ways throughout the coming months. DPH plans eye-catching "life preserver" displays in unexpected places and educational events later this fall.

For more information on the "Save Yourself" program, or to schedule a screening, visit www.healthydelaware.org/saveyourself, or call DPH's Comprehensive Cancer Control Program at (302) 744-1020.

A person who is deaf, hard-of-hearing, deaf-blind, or speech-disabled can call the DPH phone number above by using TTY services. Dial 7-1-1 or 800-232-5460 to type your conversation to a relay operator, who reads your conversation to a hearing person at DPH. The relay operator types the hearing person's spoken words back to the TTY user. To learn more about TTY availability in Delaware, visit http://delawarerelay.com.

Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware's citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations. DPH, a division of DHSS, urges Delawareans to make healthier choices with the 5-2-1 Almost None campaign: eat 5 or more fruits and vegetables each day, have no more than 2 hours of recreational screen time each day (includes TV, computer, gaming), get 1 or more hours of physical activity each day, drink almost no sugary beverages.

Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware's citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations.