(KIWA Staff Photo)
Statewide Iowa (RI) — A group of Iowans has created a free educational tool to make cancer screenings more accessible.
Cancer Screen Iowa — available both as an app and a website — recommends which screenings users should get, explains what to know beforehand, and sends annual reminders. Iowa currently ranks second in the nation in cancer rates.
Mike Schreurs, who helped create the platform and lost his wife to pancreatic cancer, says the goal is to bring more awareness to the importance of cancer screenings.
Schreurs says cost and access to healthcare are barriers for Iowans.
Another co-creator, Joe Garcia, also lost his wife to pancreatic cancer. He says early detection saves lives, and Iowa’s screening rates are only average.
Garcia says that while there is no cure for cancer, prevention and early detection are part of the solution. The long-term goal is to build partnerships that support community outreach and screening programs for uninsured Iowans.
