Cancer Awareness

The City of Columbia is committed to providing public health services that prevent epidemics and the spread of disease, protect against environmental hazards, promote healthy behaviors, prevent injuries and illness, assure the quality and accessibility of health services, monitor the health of the population, provide social services and promote and protect civil rights.

Cancer and Heart Disease Awareness

What you eat and drink, how you live, where you work, whether you smoke... all these factors can affect your risk for cancer.

We’re here to help you take control of your life. Besides offering the Smoking Cessation Program we also have several resources for you to browse through. We know it’s scary and frustrating to quit but this the first step to living a healthier life.

Cancer and Heart Disease Prevention

Recently, the American Cancer Society announced that cancer deaths declined in the United States for the second year in a row. The hard work toward preventing cancer, detecting it early, and making treatment more effective is paying off.

Healthy Behaviors and Cancer Prevention- Cancer risks can be reduced by not smoking, eating a healthy diet, and being physically active.
Tobacco Use and Cancer- Cigarette smoking is a major cause of many cancers. Quitting smoking decreases the risk of lung and other cancers, heart attack, stroke, and chronic lung disease. The earlier a person quits, the greater the health benefit. The Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services is offering a Smoking Cessation Program We’ll give you 4 brief smoking cessation counseling sessions and free nicotine patches…FREE. The cost of living starts with no cost. Find out more. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services also has the Missouri’s Quit Line program that offers free telephone counseling. Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669)
Diet and Exercise- Daily diet and exercise habits affect the risk for cancer more than most people realize. Except for quitting smoking, the best way to curt your cancer risk is to make healthy food choices, maintain a healthy weight and be physically active on a regular basis. 1/3 of all cancer deaths are linked to poor diet, physical inactivity, and carrying excess weight.

If you can't prevent cancer, the next best thing you can do to protect your health is to detect it early. Recognizing symptoms, getting regular check-ups, and performing self-exams are just a few ways you can do this.

Screenings & Early Detection

While most Americans know that mammograms, pap smears, and colonoscopies are screening exams for cancer, the majority of Americans do not know the appropriate age at which initiation of these tests is recommended, according to the latest brief from the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS).

View a list of recommended screening schedules.

Contact the Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services for eligibility guidelines for breast and cervical cancer screenings or to make an appointment.

Want to learn more? Information on the different types of cancer including their risk factors, treatments and support groups can be found on our external website directory!