It’s time to get those appointments back on the books!

Leanette at the doctor's office

As the world slowly gets back to its new normal, now is the time to get those medical appointments you have been putting off back on the books! You know the appointments you put off when the world shut down. Whether because of safety concerns, office closures or capacity restrictions, many people have put them off.

In fact, a December 2020 survey found that more than half of American adults who had an in-person appointment scheduled have missed, postponed, and/or canceled routine medical appointments because of COVID-19. So much so that screenings for breast cancer dropped 94%, screenings for colon cancer dropped 86% and screenings for cervical cancer dropped 94%. Those numbers are just way too high, and if we don’t take action now, medical experts estimate that we will face a future cancer crisis resulting from late-stage cancer diagnoses.

For a while, I was one of those people…but not anymore. Unfortunately (yet fortunately because it caused me to take action) it wasn’t until I had a few health scares myself that I started seeing doctors again. Thankfully it turned out to be nothing, but I know how scared I was while I waited for answers and how many times I told myself I should have come in sooner while I waited to find out. All that is to say that I now truly understand the importance of making the necessary appointments. That is why I am urging you to do the same.

When it comes to cancer, the earlier the cancer is detected, the more options there are for treatment, anad the better the chances for survival. So, if you have been putting it off, I encourage you to get your routine health screenings rescheduled. These include mammograms, Pap tests, colorectal cancer screenings, Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) tests, lung cancer screenings, skin checks, and dental appointments.

There are a lot of things in life that we can’t control, but we do have control over this. Your health deserves action! Schedule your routine health screenings today and get back on the books! For more information, please visit preventcancer.org/back-on-the-books