September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, and Tulane Cancer Center invites you to help raise research funds and awareness while also having a blast at...

Come enjoy great food, drink, music, costuming, a two-mile walk/run and MORE at this uniquely-New Orleans-style festival fundraiser that benefits our Prostate Cancer Research Program.

Bluedoo is a family event, offering something FUN for everyone...

NOLA Bluedoo features a two-mile competitive walk/run, which takes walkers and runners on a tour across Tulane University’s picturesque Uptown campus. Held in conjunction with the New Orleans Track Club, the race starts in Gibson Quad at 4 PM sharp. To pre-register, please click here. Registration is also possible on event day.

Moms and dads, don't forget to check out our Kids' Tent, where Tulane Cancer Center's Arts in Medicine team will guide your youngsters in an oyster shell painting and decorating project. There will also be a photo booth and a bike giveaway! Register your boys and girls (aged 12 and under) to win one of two bikes, generously donated once again this year by the Coco Family/Scott & Julie Coco. Winners will be announced on the main stage at 6:00 PM and need not be present to win.

We invite prostate cancer survivors and their families to visit our Survivors' Tent, where you will enjoy special giveaways, including stadium cups, car magnets, health bars compliments of Refreshment Solutions, and MORE!

Festing is hard work! If you plan to participate in the two-mile walk/run (and even if you don't), visit the Tulane Physical Therapy/PT Solutions tent for pre- and post-race stretching and soft tissue massage!

All funds raised at NOLA Bluedoo benefit Dr. Oliver Sartor's Prostate Cancer Research Fund at Tulane Cancer Center. Dr. Sartor and his team have helped to drive great progress in the development and approval of new drugs for prostate cancer through the years.

You can help support their work!

Get your pair of limited edition "BlueDude" socks as our premium for donations of $20 or more. Gifts can be made via cash or credit card at the "Bluedoo Central" tent on event day. Supplies are limited, so get there early! (Current sponsors in attendance at the event can also pick up their socks at Bluedoo Central.)

Of course, no New Orleans event would be complete without great food, and NOLA Bluedoo is no exception. Look for our food and beverage vendors – Crepes a la Cart, Joel's Lobster Rolls, Mo Fries, Paella NOLA, and Quintin's Ice Cream – who will be selling their delicious items on the midway. To view the complete NOLA Bluedoo menu with pricing, please click here. Attendees will also enjoy FREE waters and soft drinks, as well as beer, compliments of Second Line Brewing.

In the lead-up to NOLA Bluedoo, our friends at the Rusty Nail will be hosting a "Cheers for Charity" Happy Hour on Thursday, September 8, with 20% of sales from 4 - 8 PM benefiting prostate cancer research at Tulane. Stop in to enjoy the NFL season opener – LA Rams vs. Buffalo Bills – while also helping the cause!

Visit www.nolabluedoo.org or contact Melanie Cross – 504-988-6592, mcross@tulane.edu – or Keadren Green – 504-988-6064, kgreen2@tulane.edu.

And don't forget to wear blue – the color of prostate cancer awareness!!

New findings led by researchers at the American Cancer Society (ACS) show the number of women in the United States who reported having a recent (in the past year) breast cancer or cervical cancer screening dropped by 2.13 million (6%) and 4.47 million (11%) respectively in 2020 compared to 2018. The study is the first of its kind to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer screenings nationally using population-based data. The results were published recently in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Open Network.

“COVID-19 pandemic had an immediate impact in March and April of 2020, as screenings initially dropped by close to 80%,” said Dr. Ahmedin Jemal, senior vice president, surveillance & health equity science at the American Cancer Society and senior author of the study. “Many people caught up on screenings later in 2020, but overall, the COVID-19 pandemic kept screenings down over the course of the entire year. As we move forward, it’s crucial to get people back into their doctor’s offices to get screened.”

“Regular screening for cancer can help save lives. This important study is further evidence of how critical it is to get people back on track with their regular screening tests following COVID-19,” said Dr. William Dahut, chief scientific officer at the American Cancer Society. “Screening campaigns like our Get Screened campaign continue to aim to increase cancer screening rates by raising awareness about the need for recommended screenings for breast, cervical, colorectal, prostate, and lung cancers.”

Dahut adds, “Screening is safe, effective, and accessible. Facilities that offer screening services have COVID-19 safety precautions in place. Many states have low or reduced-cost screening programs to help ensure that everyone has access, even people who don’t have insurance or a primary care doctor.”

Tulane Cancer Center's Artist-in-Residence Ann Zatarain, along with medical student volunteers from Tulane's Medical Art Society, have been hard at work since they started the long-awaited clinic mural installation in July. (Read the Inroads story on the mural project here.)

Here's a quick peak at the progress. Zatarain says she and her team have two more portraits to complete in their montage of faces meant to reflect the many different types of patients who come to our clinic for treatment. The next step is to add more foliage and floral accents to the work, a reminder that despite their challenges, these individuals are surrounded by a bright landscape and that the journey to cancer survivorship is not only possible but can also be filled with hope.

Zatarain expects the mural will be completed in the next few weeks. Look for updates in future issues of Inroads.

The Cancer Crusaders will host their 21st Annual Celebration of Life Luncheon on Friday, September 30, at the New Orleans Marriott Grand Ballroom, 555 Canal St. Doors open at 10 AM and the program begins at 11:30 AM.

To sponsor the event, purchase luncheon tickets, make a donation, bid on silent auction items or purchase raffle tickets, visit https://bidpal.net/cancercrusaders.

Invite your friends and join Krewe de Pink for the prom of your dreams – Saturday, October 1, 7 - 11 PM, at The Jung Hotel Grand Ballroom, in Downtown NOLA.

As always this event is a "bring your own food and drink" evening, or you can order from one of the participating restaurants who will deliver directly to your table! (Ice will be provided.) There will also be a cash bar, where you can sample the 2022 Pink Craft Cocktail Contest winners! (Learn more about the contest here.)

Visit https://www.krewedepink.org/krewe-de-pink-prom to purchase tickets, bid on auction items, buy raffle tickets, support the prom king/queen candidates, and learn more about the restaurants who will deliver to the event.