New Cancer Prevention Program
updated: Mar 18, 2010, 7:47 AM

Source: SBNC

Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics (SBNC) and Sansum Clinic are proud to announce an enhanced collaboration to strengthen Breast Cancer Prevention among low-income women in the Santa Barbara area. With the SBNC/Sansum Clinic Breast Cancer Prevention Program, low-income women in their 40s will once again have access to free mammograms as part of their ongoing health check-up routine.

In 2009, California Public Health Department made a drastic cut to its Every Woman Counts program statewide, discontinuing free mammograms to women in their 40s who earn less than $22,000 a year. Mammograms for qualifying women ages 50 and older are still covered by the program.

According to the National Cancer Institute, 1 in 8 American women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during the course of their lifetime. The earlier breast cancer is detected the earlier it can be removed and treated, prolonging lifespan and also lessening costs of more aggressive interventions required in late stage cancer development. "For women in their 40s, the risk of dying from breast cancer can be reduced by about 17 percent… with regular use of screening mammograms, followed by timely treatment." Regardless of age, if breast cancer is first detected after it has already metastasized to another area of the body, chances of surviving 5 years is only about 23 percent.

Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics is the critical health safety net for Santa Barbara County. In 2009, SBNC provided care to over 16,000 unduplicated low-income patients, was responsible for nearly 68,000 total clinical and preventative health education visits, and partners with organizations such as the Breast Cancer Resource Center to complete the circle of quality healthcare to its patients. SBNC's collaboration with Sansum Clinic includes providing diagnostic services such as: MRI's, colonoscopies, special radiology, electrocardiograms, ultrasounds, and CT scans. For more information about the SBNC/Sansum Clinic Breast Cancer Prevention Program, contact Bonnie Campbell @ (805) 617-7853 or bonnie@sbclinics.com

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SBNC Sansum Clinic announce collaboration strengthen breast cancer prevention among low-income women Free mammograms offered