Real Talk: Cancer Screening Series
The Karmanos Cancer Institute Office of Community Outreach and Engagement’s (COE) Real Talk programs are community-based health programs co-led by trained community members (lay health advisors, or LHAs) on cancer that feature survivors who share their triumph over the disease. Its mission is to educate and increase participation in cancer screening.
The Real Talk programs that COE offers include:
- Real Talk: Breast Cancer
- Real Talk: Prostate Cancer
- Real Talk: Lung Cancer and Real Talk: Cancer Screening will be launched in 2026
Real Talk programs cover topics such as cancer screening guidelines, risks, symptoms, and preventative factors. These sessions take about an hour in length, including a 20- to 30-minute video component, a question and answer session, and distribution of resources.
We train community members to become lay health advisors for Real Talk!
- You can become a lay health advisor (LHA) to share this important cancer prevention and screening information in your community following the completion of training. Join us to learn how easy it can be to share health information with your friends and community.
Benefits of being a lay health advisor
- Training: Learn from cancer center professionals about different cancer-related topics.
- Teach others: Make a difference in the lives of your family, friends and neighbors by sharing your knowledge and passion.
- Network: Connect with like-minded individuals interested in improving the health of their communities.
- Recognition: Receive certificates of completion and digital badges that can be shared with others to showcase new skills.
Request a Real Talk session today! The COE team can come to your community to present a Real Talk program and connect individuals to cancer screening services.
For more information, please contact the program coordinator, Madison Pavliscak at pavliscakm@karmanos.org or (313) 576-8869.