Celebrate Dad’s Day with the Gift of Health

Pro golfers look to cash in at Capital One Classic
June 12, 2007
Beverly Boudreaux
June 14, 2007
Pro golfers look to cash in at Capital One Classic
June 12, 2007
Beverly Boudreaux
June 14, 2007

Father’s Day is a time when we focus not only on our own fathers, but on all of the fathers in our lives – husbands, grandfathers, brothers, sons, uncles, nephews and friends. Instead of just another necktie or shirt this year, why not give a gift more meaningful and lasting by helping the men in your life make healthy choices to prevent diseases like cancer?


In my own family, we’re very fair-skinned which made farming in the Mississippi sun difficult for my father. My sisters and I used to laugh at his broad-brimmed hats, but his awareness of his vulnerability and the precautions he took enabled him to prevent the disease and live to the ripe old age of 90.


In 2007, it is estimated that 766,860 men in the United States will be diagnosed with cancer and 289,500 will die from the disease, yet many of those cases could be prevented or detected early with simple lifestyle changes and screening tests.

Start by making sure the men in your life schedule their regular doctor’s appointments and screenings; the fact is that women are often the ones who do this for their families. Offer to drive them, if that’s what it takes! Below are some screening guidelines men should discuss with their health care providers:


– Prostate cancer: Men, especially those around the age of 50, should talk to their doctors about screening options for prostate cancer, such as PSA tests and digital rectal exams.


– Colon cancer: Beginning at the age of 50, or earlier in some cases, men should have a colonoscopy to check for polyps that can turn into colon cancer.

– Testicular cancer: Men, especially those between the ages of 15 and 35 should ask their primary care physicians to examine their testicles, as well as once a month perform a testicular self exam.

– Skin cancer: Men should ask their dermatologists and primary care physicians to examine their skin. Additionally they should watch for changes in their skin, and look for moles that are changing and have a loved one check their backs or other places they can’t see. If you are giving golf balls or a fishing rod, add a brimmed hat and sunscreen as a reminder to be safe in the sun.

– Oral cancer: Men are twice as likely to suffer from oral cancer as women. Remind the men in your life to have their dentists and primary care physicians fully examine their mouths for any symptoms.

Here are some other gift ideas. Take the man in your life to lunch or cook him a healthy dinner and have a conversation about improving eating habits to make healthier food choices in the year ahead. After dinner, go for a nice long walk, or play in the yard with the kids or grandkids. Use those opportunities to talk about how to make exercise a bigger part of your everyday lives.

Encourage the fathers in your life to quit using all tobacco products as a gift not only to themselves but to those around them. By supporting the men in your life to live healthy and get screened, you can help to ensure they are around for many Father’s Days to come! For more information please visit www.preventcancer.org.

PEACHY MELANCON is the spouse of U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon and is a member of Congressional Families Action for Cancer Awareness, a program of the Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation.