Hundreds attend Women's Health and Cancer Prevention Event in Tampa

TAMPA, Fla. - More than 500 women attended AdventHealth's 3rd Annual Women's Health and Cancer Prevention Event on Saturday at the J.W. Marriot in Tampa. Women got to undergo health screenings and hear from doctors about how to best stay on top of their health.

For some women, staying on top of your health can be tough, especially for working moms.

"I always put my kids, appointments for the dentist and the pediatrician and everything first, and not so much my own and because we put ourselves last we neglect our own care," Kay Meyer Breast Care Center Medical Director Dr. Rachel Burke said.

Dr. Burke wants to make it easier for women to know what to watch out for. That's why she, along with AdventHealth, hosted the Women's Health and Cancer Prevention Event where attendees got to under health screenings like cholesterol tests and blood pressure screenings. A major topic of discussion was the importance of yearly mammograms.

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"I do my best work finding cancers when patients have no symptoms, that's when they're earliest, smallest. They are usually in the earliest stages and we have our best success rate, obviously, when patients have a lump, when they do have symptoms of cancer, I want them to come in obviously urgently, but I don't want them to wait for that point because they're usually more advanced," Dr. Burke said.

As Dr. Burke explained, it's important to come in before you notice something wrong. That's because certain things like high-blood pressure, diabetes or cancer may only be detected through tests and may not show any physical symptoms.

Along with screenings, attendees were also able to receive information on every aspect of their health, from heart health to CPR training. Doctors also gave presentations on certain topics like fad diets, insomnia and aging gracefully.

Each attendee gave a $10 donation to the Kay Meyer Breast Care Center. All the proceeds will go to help pay for free mammograms for women in need.

"People who are coming are motivated because they're interested in their health care, which is good because there's always something to learn," Dr. Burke said.

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