Lee Anne Pope launches Kentucky cancer-screening campaign

Lee Anne Pope and the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center have launched “Set Your Screen,” a campaign urging Kentuckians to discuss their cancer risks and recommended screenings with health care providers. Pope says her father died of prostate cancer at 52, while routine screening helped detect her mother’s breast cancer twice before symptoms appeared; that family experience inspired her advocacy. The campaign emphasizes that screening can find some cancers early, when treatment may be more effective, and that screening recommendations can vary based on personal risk and family history. Markey Cancer Center Director Mark Evers said fear of what a screening might uncover can deter people, but early detection can make a meaningful difference. The initiative comes as Kentucky has among the nation’s highest cancer incidence and mortality rates, and builds on the Popes’ existing support for cancer research and care.