Kingman, KS (September 21, 2017)
Local Masons will host free cancer screenings Saturday, October 14, from 9:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m. at the United Methodist Church on 133 East D Avenue in Kingman, Kan. The event is open to the public and is one of 28 free cancer prevention events the Kansas Masonic Foundation (KMF) is sponsoring across the state in 2017.
KMF conducts the screenings in partnership with the Midwest Cancer Alliance (MCA), the outreach division of The University of Kansas Cancer Center, and KU Medical Center staff. According to Brooke Groneman, the outreach director for MCA, nearly 7,000 Kansas residents have attended the Masonic screenings over the past decade. The event in Kingman is being coordinated by Masonic volunteers from Ninnescah Masonic Lodge No. 230 and will include free skin and prostate screenings as well as Screen-toSave colon cancer home screening kits, Body Mass Index assessments and breath tests that measure lung exposure to carbon monoxide.
“There’s no question that when we catch cancer in its early stages we significantly improve chances of successful treatment,” says physician Aly Barland, MD.
According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, approximately 6,000 Americans are diagnosed with some form of skin cancer every day and more than 200 of those are diagnosed with melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. The Centers for Disease Control reports that, in Kansas, cancer is the leading cause of death and the region has higher than average rates of skin cancer, compared to other parts of the U.S.
This event marks the first time Lodge No. 230 has hosted a cancer screening. “We hope people all across south central Kansas take advantage of the free screenings,” says Masonic volunteer Cody Drosselmeyer.
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“The physicians spot potential health issues in about 20% of the people that attend the Masonic screenings,” says Robert Shively, Director of KMF. Anyone identified with a possible health concern is advised by the screening team to see their local physician, explains Shively.
In addition to funding screenings with local Lodges for more than a dozen years, the KMF created The Kansas Masonic Cancer Institute and developed health initiatives like the Bob Dole Prostate Cancer Research Fund and the Oncology Nurse Navigator and Psychosocial Oncology Endowments at University of Kansas Medical Center over the past few decades.
For more information on the screening event in Kingman call 620-532-1600. To learn more about The Kansas Masonic Foundation call 785-357-7646 and, for information on KMF’s other free cancer screening events in 2017, contact the Midwest Cancer Alliance at 913-588-4719.
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The Midwest Cancer Alliance brings cancer research, care, and support professionals together to advance the quality and reach of cancer care, prevention, early detection, and survivorship in the Heartland.
The Kansas Masonic Foundation was formed in 1966 to encourage philanthropy from Kansas Masons for charitable, educational and scientific programs and has built a strong Tradition of Service across the state.
