WACO, Texas (KXXV) — Dak Prescott and Baylor Scott & White use cleats to promote cancer screenings, emphasizing early detection saves lives.
- The My Cause My Cleats campaign has Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and Baylor Scott and White promoting the importance of early cancer screenings
- For more information on the My Cause My Cleats campaign, click here.
- For more information on early cancer screenings, click here.
One in three people skip cancer screenings because they don't see symptoms, but Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and Baylor Scott & White Health want to change that dangerous mindset.
Through the NFL's My Cause My Cleats initiative, Prescott will wear custom cleats when the Cowboys face Philadelphia this Sunday. But it's what Baylor Scott & White created off the field that's getting attention — some of the world's smallest cleats.
The tiny 3-D printed and hand-painted cleats are exact replicas of what Prescott will wear in the game. They represent the campaign's core message that routine screenings can detect cancer when it's small, before symptoms appear, when treatment is most effective.
"The unfortunate thing about a lot of cancers is that by the time you're having symptoms, unfortunately that cancer is well established, and it's too late to do a lot of intervention that we could have done when we catch it early on," a Baylor Scott & White representative said.
"It is nice to be able to visit and sit with a patient and go over the screening guidelines. But if they can be reminded on just something brief that they're doing on a Sunday, whether they're at the game or watching it at home, they're gonna be able to say, oh wow, there's something really different about that. I'm gonna investigate that and hopefully that message gets through to them," the representative said.
Cancer doesn't always announce itself with obvious symptoms. That's why Baylor Scott & White Health emphasizes that even small things need attention when it comes to fighting cancer.
Baylor Scott & White offers comprehensive screening programs based on individual age and risk factors. Recommended screenings include mammograms starting at age 40, colonoscopies beginning at 45, and lung cancer screenings for adults 50 to 80 with smoking history.
The health system combines technology with personalized care to make screenings accessible. Providers work with patients to create screening schedules that fit their lives, because catching cancer early can be a lifesaving choice.
"Screening is not a one size fits all. A lot of it's based on, uh, male or female. It's based on age. It's based on past risk factors, either your own risk factors or your familial risk factors. And so it's really important to get with somebody who's knowledgeable on those screening guidelines to help you through that. There's not, unfortunately, a one size fits all general cancer screening," the representative said.
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