Cancer survivors urge people to get screenings at Jordan Health event

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Jordan Health held an event over the weekend, to remind people to get yearly cancer screenings done. Doctors at the center and even cancer survivors say the pandemic has prevented people from going to the doctor for their checkups.

“When I got the memo I was already stage four, my sister clinician said, there is no stage five,” Tamiko Byrd told News10NBC.

Byrd has dedicated her life to creating awareness to yearly cancer screenings. She says, she’s been in remission from breast cancer for some time, but wishes she had more knowledge when she was first diagnosed.

“I went from not taking an aspirin to chemo. I went from exercising six days a week to not being able to stand, I learned the difference between being fatigued and frail.”

Byrd says she kicked cancers butt with the help of Jordan Health. In honor of both prostate and breast cancer awareness months the center had screenings, and educational services available for anyone, but specifically, in vulnerable communities.

“Men and women are both here listening, but men can get breast cancer too, and I think we forget that male breast tissue, so there is possibility of that. It’s also important to get screenings when it’s appropriate and understand if you’re a black man you need to get screened at a younger age,” Linda Clark said, the chief medical officer at Jordan Health.

Another part of the education piece was bringing back survivors like Byrd to share stories and the importance of knowing your body and how to protect it.

“Jordan Health is very important to me, it helped save my life, so to come back as a survivor, happily to be seen alive, to share my journey and to share what it takes to fight and beat breast cancer.”

Screening information here.