Cancer screening succeeds
To the editor:
The third annual Head and Neck Cancer Screening was a tremendous success, with 182 people screened for cancers of the skin and mouth. Eleven patients were referred for immediate care with appropriate specialists and an additional 19 were sent for further evaluations of less urgent problems.
This screening would not be possible without the help of many volunteers, of whom I would like to mention a few: the staff and students of the Dental Hygiene program at Iowa Central Community College, led by Renee Piper and Brenda Anderson, who helped plan the event and assisted with initial history and preparation of patients, the Iowa Cancer Consortium, who organized and assisted with the event, and the multiple physicians, dentists, and oral surgeons who gave of their time to help patients. These providers included Dr. Shane Hopkins (radiation oncology, Trinity Cancer Center), Dr. Matt Maggio (dentist, Fort Dodge), Dr. Janet Secor (family practice, retired), Dr. Nick Drzycimski (dentist, Fort Dodge), Dr. Leopoldo Delucca (otolaryngology, Fort Dodge), Dr. Carey Bligard (dermatology, UnityPoint Clinic), and Dr. Jonathan DeJong (Fort Dodge Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery).
I would like to extend my thanks to all the volunteers who made this the most successful screening ever.
Carey A. Bligard, M.D.
Fort Dodge