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| FREE MOBILE MAMMOGRAPHY PROGRAM |
The objective of the American-Italian Cancer Foundation's (AICF) Free Mobile Mammography Program is to break down the barriers to breast cancer screening that result in many underserved women losing their lives to breast cancer due to advanced disease at diagnosis. Early detection of breast cancer saves lives. AICF's program encourages annual mammograms and removes economic and cultural barriers to cancer screening by providing bi-lingual health education and mobile mammography screening free-of-charge. Our community "partners" like schools, churches or community centers give us unique access to underserved women. See our Guidelines
AICF mammography vans or portable machines go right to where underserved, uninsured women live, work or worship. Using this method, AICF has screened over 55,317 women for breast cancer. In 2005, sixteen and one-half percent (19.8%) have needed follow-up care and 3.3 women per 1,000 screened were diagnosed with cancer.
Ninety-five percent of the women in our program face serious barriers to a breast health routine. They have either 1) no health insurance and no money for non-emergency healthcare 2) no primary care physician 3) no time to travel to clinics or hospitals 4) cultural cloistering - cultural or religious restrictions on travel or on examination of the body 5) linguistic barriers. Many women face several of these barriers. More than 70% of the community groups we visit are ethnic or racial minorities and an additional 30% are seniors.
Our program is the only
privately funded year-round mobile source of free mammograms for uninsured
and underinsured women in the New York metropolitan area.
With recent funding from the New York Cancer Project
at AMDeC, AICF has developed a breast cancer educational workshop
called “Breast Cancer and You” geared toward
older women. The workshop promotes early detection of breast cancer and also
provides participants with an understanding of the development of cancer,
the risk factors associated with breast cancer and treatment options. Additionally,
the presentation encourages women to adopt healthy lifestyle habits such as
reducing stress, exercising, eating properly, and quitting smoking. Participants
in the program are invited to schedule a mammogram at upcoming screenings
and receive educational material in English, Spanish, Italian, French, Chinese
and Russian. “Breast Cancer and You” has been presented at 6 senior
centers in areas of high-incidence of breast cancer in Manhattan and Brooklyn.
To view the presentation please click
here!
|
Download
the Presentation "Breast Cancer And
You" |
| Mammography Screening: Historical Data | ||||
| Year |
Screened
|
Follow-ups
|
Cancer
diagnosed |
Sites |
| 1987-1989 |
854
|
39 |
17 |
6 |
| 1990-1991 |
813 |
114 |
9 |
6 |
| 1992-1993 |
655 |
99 |
10 |
27 |
| 1994 |
1,406 |
147
|
7
|
67 |
| 1995 |
1,935 |
301 |
6 |
85 |
| 1996 |
2,475 |
297 |
11 |
81 |
| 1997 |
2,856 |
325 |
12 |
93 |
| 1998 |
3,021 |
524 |
10 |
95 |
| 1999 |
3,983 |
680 |
15 |
120 |
| 2000 |
4,229 |
750 |
18
|
125 |
| 2001 |
5,083 |
834 |
17 |
155 |
2002
|
5,057 |
876 |
18 |
164 |
2003 |
5,671 |
1,103 |
18 |
198 |
2004 |
5,226 |
1,063 |
12 |
200 |
2005 |
5,994 |
1,222 |
27 |
234 |
2006 |
6,059 |
1,138 |
24 |
265 |
| Total |
55,317 |
9,512 |
238 |
1,921 |
