October's Walk with a Doc | Cancer Prevention

Our October Walk with a Doc sneaked in last Saturday, the spectacularly sunny day before the temperature dropped and snow flew on Sunday! Over 85 people enjoyed a bright and clear morning's walk together around scenic North Boulder Park.

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, oncologist Dr. Lori Jensen of Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers shared tips for preventing breast cancer, and cancers overall.

Our bodies make cancerous cells daily, she explained, so anything we can do to support our immune system is helpful. Research shows that regular physical activity is one important way to maintain immune health.

She also urged the women walkers to make sure they schedule annual mammography screenings> Boulder Community Health offers digital mammography and tomosynthesis (3-D mammography that is recommended for patients with moderately dense or very dense breast tissue) at four locations:

Boulder Medical Center (Boulder)
Community Medical Center (Lafayette)
Foothills Hospital (Boulder)
Medical Imaging Center (Broomfield)

Compared to 2-D mammography, 3-D mammography offers a 40% increase in detection of invasive cancer and fewer “call backs” for further diagnostic imaging. If you're not sure if you have dense breast tissue, ask your doctor: Prior mammogram reports should note density. Tomosynthesis is only available at our Foothills Hospital location.

The Colorectal Cancer Alliance and Gastroenterology of the Rockies also joined the event, offering goodies and health education on preventing and screening for colorectal cancer. They also urged regular colonoscopy screenings, as recommended by your primary care doctor.

If you've been putting off getting a colonoscopy, never fear! It's truly not as uncomfortable as the exaggerated stories some people tell. It's well worth the relief of getting knowledge about your health and risk factors. You can schedule at Gastroenterology of the Rockies, with three locations across Boulder Valley: Boulder, Lafayette and Longmont.

Please come out for the next Walk on Saturday, November 10 at Harlow Platts Park (1360 Gillaspie Street in south Boulder) from 8:00 - 9:00 a.m. Neurologist Dr. Alan Zacharias of Associated Neurologists will discuss walking and brain health. Get the schedule and details: bch.org/walkwithadoc.