KING COUNTY, WA - Breast cancer screenings will be available free of charge this week for women with limited medical resources. These screening services are being provided to promote women's breast health awareness.
Space is limited, so contact Giselle Zapata-Garcia from the Community Health Access Program (CHAP) at 1-800-756-5437 to schedule an appointment.
Appointments are available during the following times:
- Wednesday, November 1, 2000
8 AM - 6 PM
(Emerald City Outreach - 7728 Rainier Avenue South, Seattle)
- Thursday, November 2, 2000
8 AM - 6 PM
(Crossroads Mall - 15600 NE 8th Street, Bellevue - Community Meeting Room)
- Friday, November 3, 2000
8 AM - 6 PM
(Island Family Medical - 17429 Vashon Highway SW, Vashon Island, WA)
"Early detection of breast cancer is the best means of protection for women," said Alonzo Plough, Director for Public Health - Seattle & King County. "These screenings provide an opportunity for women in King County that might not otherwise have the available financial resources. "
Breast health awareness practice guidelines include:
- Women age 40 years and older having a yearly mammogram and clinical breast examination.
- All women practicing monthly breast self-examinations.
In King County, approximately 75% of women with annual incomes of less than $10,000 have ever had a mammogram and clinical breast examination, compared to 93% of women with annual incomes greater than $50,000.
For those reporting a mammogram and clinical breast examination during the past two years, the percentages are even more disparate, with just 52% of women with annual incomes under $10,000, while 86% for women with annual incomes over $50,000.
In addition to improving access for women, Public Health and its community partners are working to understand reasons why women choose not to get mammograms.
As part of this effort, Public Health and the University of Washington are coordinating a program called "Taking Care of Yourself." Funded through a grant from the Department of Defense, this program is looking to talk with women who have chosen not to have a mammogram. For more information, call project coordinator Bridgette Richardson, a 4-year breast cancer survivor herself, at (206) 296-4571.
For more information about cancer risk reduction, screening tests, health care services, and support contact:
- Puget Sound Affiliate/Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation: 1-800-IM-AWARE
- Cancer Information Service: 1-800-4-CANCER
- American Cancer Society: 1-800-ACS-2345
For more information on the Breast and Cervical Health Program at Public Health, visit their website at http://www.metrokc.gov/health/women/mammogram.htm.
The free mammogram screenings are being sponsored by:
