Cancer Prevention Doesn’t Need To Be Expensive

February is National Cancer Prevention Month and comes at a time when our New Year’s resolutions to be “healthier” may be fading. Learning that cancer prevention could save you a few dollars may spark your motivation!

• People who smoke a pack of cigarettes a day could save up to $4,000 a year by quitting and lower the risk for 12 different cancers.

• Alcohol raises the risk of developing seven types of cancer, and the more you drink, the higher the risk.  Spending less on alcohol is a great choice for your health.

• There are 13 cancers associated with excess body weight. Taking off some weight by making small changes in diet and physical activity doesn’t have to empty your wallet. Remember, you don’t need a gym membership to reach the recommended 2.5 to 5 hours of physical activity a week. Walking just a few minutes a day provides health benefits. Think of it this way, some activity is better than none!

Staying up to date with screenings is another way to prevent cancer. Cervical and colorectal cancer screenings can find the cells that lead to cancer and remove them before cancer grows.  Although breast cancer and lung cancer can’t be prevented with a screening test, these cancers can be found early when it’s easier to treat.

The New York State Department of Health leads statewide efforts to prevent or catch cancer at its earliest stage. Its cornerstone initiative, the Cancer Services Program (CSP), offers free breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening to New Yorkers who lack health insurance. Your local program, administered by Oswego County Opportunities Inc.’s (OCO) CSP of the North Country, is part of a network of programs serving every county and borough of New York.

Talk to your doctor about what screenings you need now, and which are due in the future. Screenings are covered by most insurance plans at no cost to you. If you don’t have insurance or a health care provider, the Cancer Services Program (CSP) of North Country may be able to help. Oswego County Opportunities, Inc.’s CSP provides free cervical, colorectal, and breast cancer screening for eligible, uninsured New Yorkers, aged 40 and older. Call the CSP at 315-592-0830 to find out if you qualify.

Here’s to good health in 2026!

For more information contact 315-592-0830 or visit OCO’s website at www.oco.org.

Carolyn Handville Coordinator

CSP of the North Country

Oswego County Opportunities, Inc.

315-592-0830

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