GREAT FALLS — The community came together on Tuesday night at Benefis Health System for “Kick Cancer in the Tailgate."
“We're hosting an event for the community to try to give people some fun ideas of… everyday lifestyles changes that can help reduce their risks of cancer,” said Carolyn Rutter, a radiation oncologist with the Sletten Cancer Institute.
Some of the lifestyle changes include a healthier diet, by limiting red meat and alcohol, and adding more fiber. This can help reduce the risk of colon cancer, which experts say is on the rise in younger adults.
“Yeah, it's exciting for us to be able to try to, really turn someone's journey around early, before there even is a problem,” Rutter said.
The tailgate also featured tips for active lifestyles, healthy recipes and mocktails, and on-site screenings for mouth and throat cancer.
“We know that these oral cancers, especially cancers of the throat, are rapidly on the rise,” Rutter said.
Cancer survivors were also able to add their handprints to the “Handprints of Hope” wall.
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There, survivors, as well as loved ones of those who passed, can honor the cancer patient with a handprint, painted in the color that represents their specific cancer.
The hands join a wall of hundreds of hands that signify hope and strength during a battle with cancer.
The Sletten Cancer Institute hopes to inspire people to get screened for cancer early, especially if they are at a higher risk.
“We would love to have less patients to treat by preventing cancer,” Rutter said.
