BATON ROUGE — The Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center hosted its annual Barbershop Bash on Saturday at Webb's Barbershop on Eddie Robinson Sr. Drive in Baton Rouge.

Residents at the free event were offered screenings for both prostate and colorectal cancer.

“We’re proud to once again partner with Webb’s Barbershop to bring these life-saving cancer screenings directly into the community,” said Sharneitha Bradford, regional director of Prevention on the Go for Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center. “Early detection saves lives, and these free screenings provide an opportunity for people to catch cancer sooner, when treatment is often most effective.”

Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancer diagnoses for men, with roughly one in eight men being diagnosed in their lifetime, according to the American Cancer Society.

Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center works with community partners to offer screening events in various settings, including barbershops, which are often used as open discussion forums where men can discuss life and challenges, like health-related issues, amongst their peers.

The event, held in partnership with the Louisiana Department of Health and the Beta Iota Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., also featured other health vendors, educational resources, food and door prizes.

More than 120 free cancer screenings were conducted at last year's event.