State Launches Breast And Cervical Cancer Awareness Campaign

According to the American Cancer Society, one in eight women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. That is why the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) is launching a public awareness campaign to educate women on breast and cervical cancer and the state’s free Breast & Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program.

The program targets uninsured and underinsured women throughout the state who qualify for a free breast and cervical cancer screening offered at one of 18 contracted healthcare provider sites. According to the DPH, there are approximately 40,000 uninsured or underinsured women age 40 to 64 in Connecticut.

“To date, almost 17,000 women have received a free screening for breast and cervical cancer through our early detection program,” said Joxel Garcia, MD, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Public Health. “Fifty percent of the women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer through our program have had their breast cancer detected in its early stages, when it is most treatable.”

The goal of early detection programs is to reduce breast and cervical cancer mortality through early detection and treatment referral. According to Commissioner Garcia, early detection is the best known strategy in the fight against breast and cervical cancer.

“There are many women in Connecticut who are over age 40 and have never had a mammogram or Pap test,” said Commissioner Garcia. “Our mission is to reach these women, educate them on breast and cervical cancer, and see that they practice early detection. When diagnosed early, a woman’s chance of surviving breast cancer increases to 97 percent versus 21 percent if the cancer is detected at a later, invasive state. Cervical cancer is 100 percent preventable with regular Pap tests.”

In addition to 100 satellite sites statewide, there are 18 healthcare providers for the Breast & Cervical Cancer Early Detection program, including Danbury Hospital and Yale New-Haven Hospital.

To be eligible for free screenings, women must be of appropriate age with a limited income. They can be in one of two insurance scenarios: no health insurance, or health insurance that excludes routine mammograms and Pap tests. Other services offered for women who qualify for the Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program include screening and diagnostic services, case management, tracking and follow-up of abnormal screenings, referrals for treatment, and financial advisement.

For more information on the Breast & Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program or to see if you qualify for a free screening, call the infoline at 211.