MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Baptist Health Sciences University is working to raise awareness for all types of cancer.
Tuesday, the university hosted a free cancer awareness event to help educate the public about different types of cancer and how to reduce risks.
The Baptist Mobile Mammography Unit provided mammograms, and one of the big topics was lung cancer awareness. The Baptist Cancer Center provided free lung cancer screenings, stressing the importance of early detection.
“The main goal is for us to get the community and get the word out for people [about] all the local organizations that we have here in the Mid-South, and what type of options that we have for prevention of cancer since it's so predominant in our area,” said Lauren Brown with the Radiation Therapy program.
November is National Lung Cancer Awareness Month. Baptist said lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. Tennessee, Arkansas, and Mississippi are among the states with the highest per-capita rate of lung cancer deaths.
In 2021, Baptist Cancer Center announced an initiative called the Mid-South Miracle aimed at reducing lung cancer deaths in the Mid-South 25% by 2030.