The Irish Cancer Society will be offering free health checks in Shannon Town Centre, Co. Clare this week.
As part of the ‘Your Health Matters’ Roadshow, nurses will administer health checks to the public from 9am – 6pm on Wednesday 17th and Thursday 18th of April, free of charge.
The health check is a free walk-in service. It will include a blood pressure check, body mass index (BMI) and carbon monoxide (CO) reading and information on cancer prevention, screening, and ways to help spot the early signs of cancer. Each health check will take approximately 15 minutes and a referral for a GP can also be arranged where further help is required.
With April being Bowel Cancer Awareness Month, this month’s free health check will have a specific focus on bowel health.
Around 2,500 people will be diagnosed with bowel cancer each year and it is the second most common cause of cancer-related death in Ireland. The earlier bowel cancer is detected the better the outcome for the patient. Signs and symptoms of bowel cancer include: lasting change in your bowel habit, blood in your poo or bleeding from your back passage, a lump in your tummy area or rectum, or pain or discomfort in your tummy area or back passage
The Roadshow will be located in near Dunnes Stores in Shannon Town Centre, Tullyvarraga, Shannon, Co. Clare.
Early detection and diagnosis of cancer is essential to improve health outcomes. When cancer is diagnosed early, it can improve the quality of life of those living with cancer, increase survival and reduce the severity of treatment. Many patients find it difficult to or do not attend GP visits even when they are experiencing potential cancer symptoms. The ‘Your Health Matters’ Roadshow initiative seeks to change this by promoting positive lifestyle changes, increasing awareness of cancer symptoms, and improving medical care-seeking behaviour for the early signs of cancer.
In 2023, the roadshow travelled to 28 different locations around the country. To date, over 42,200 people have learned about the importance of early detection, and almost 3,600 people have received health checks at Irish Cancer Society ‘Your Health Matters’ roadshows.