Hispanics Less Likely To Get Early Breast Cancer Screening; Community Health Centers Strive To Reverse Trend, Reduce Hurdles

10/23/2002

From: Amy Simmons of the National Association of Community Health Center, 202-296-1890, http://www.nachc.com/

WASHINGTON, Oct. 23 -- Even though the rate of breast cancer among Hispanic/Latina women is lower than White and African-American women, life-saving early detection diagnoses will likely elude them because of barriers, such as language, lack of health insurance or little to no access to basic health care services. Studies show that early detection of breast cancer saves lives. Timely mammograms for women aged 40 or older could prevent 15 to 30 percent of all deaths from breast cancer. Nevertheless, many Hispanic women do not participate in early screenings and are more likely to be diagnosed during the later stages of breast cancer, when the mortality risk is higher.

"Many community health centers around the country offer mammograms and early breast cancer screening for women. Last year, health centers diagnosed or treated some 154,648 breast cancer patients and have surpassed the national health objectives set by the federal government. To continue with that success, we are partnering with state breast and cervical cancer early detection programs as part of the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (BCCEDP) to help uninsured and underserved women gain access to early detection screening programs for breast and cervical cancers. There are a number of hurdles for Hispanic women, particularly those who live in rural, migrant worker communities beyond the reach of basic health care services," said Dr. Tom Curtin, M.D., Associate Vice President of Clinical Affairs at NACHC.

To spread the message of the importance of early cancer detection, NACHC has launched a program in partnership with the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Edward R. Roybal Institute for Applied Gerontology, California State University, Los Angeles. The program, called "Cada Paso Cuenta...Every Step Counts," assists community, migrant, and homeless health centers in encouraging more Spanish-speaking women to get early breast and cervical cancer screenings that can save lives. The program utilizes a range of resources to reach out to the Hispanic population; a Spanish- language media campaign, piloting training manuals for health centers to effectively reach out to Hispanic women and teach the importance of early screenings, breast self-exams and mammograms. The program is also gathering research data to assist centers with developing better methods of targeting medically underserved populations.

Community health centers began 35 years ago to help fight the war against poverty and disease. They were established to provide quality health care to the medically underserved, including the millions of Americans without health insurance, low-income working families, migrant farm workers and the homeless. As the primary providers of health care to over 12 million patients a year, health centers are also on the front lines of breast cancer treatment and are working to narrow the health disparities that continue to plague low-income and minority populations.

Mammogram Percentages: Health Center Patients................U.S. Women Medicaid Patients ...........66.............................38 Private Insurance............56.............................55 Uninsured....................56.............................19 Hispanic (Note)..............76.............................48 White, non-Hispanic..........58.............................44 Black, non-Hispanic..........61.............................49 Other........................73.................data unavailable

Source: "Inequality In America: The Contribution of Health Centers in Reducing and Eliminating Disparities in Access to Care" (June, 2001)/

Note: Category includes respondents to National Health Interview Survey (NHIS)

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among American women. This year, an estimated 203,500 new cases will be diagnosed and an estimated 40,000 women will die from breast cancer. Women who are 40 and older should schedule a routine mammogram at their nearest health care provider or at a local community health center. Through the "Cada Paso Cuenta," program, woman can call a Spanish hotline to speak with a bilingual counselor and locate a health center that offers mammograms or breast examinations.

The hot line number is: 1-800-986-9505.

If detected early, the five-year survival rate for localized breast cancer is 96 percent.

Established in 1970, NACHC is a non-profit organization whose mission is (1) to represent the interests of federally supported and other federally qualified health centers and (2) to serve as an information source concerning issues of health care for poor and medically underserved populations in the United States.