KANSAS
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & ENVIRONMENT
BILL GRAVES, GOVERNOR
Gary R. Mitchell, Secretary
For Immediate Release
October 8, 1998
Contact: Julia M. Francisco, Director, FREE to Know, 785-296-1233
A Mammogram Can Save Your Life
To raise awareness of the importance of early detection of breast cancer,
Governor Bill Graves has proclaimed October 1998 as Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM) and October 16, 1998 as Mammography Day in Kansas. Kansas joins other states in recognizing October as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Through the proclamation, Governor Graves urges all Kansas women to become aware that they are at risk and to discuss a screening program with their health care provider. Recognizing that breast cancer can affect the entire family, the Governor also urges all Kansas citizens to encourage the women they love to "have a mammogram, not just once, but for a lifetime."
"In 1998, approximately 1,700 Kansas women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 400 will die from the disease," reports Gary Mitchell, Secretary of Kansas Department of Health and Environment. "Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women, accounting for one out of every three cancer diagnoses. One out of every eight women in the United States will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. Research shows that the five-year survival rate is 96 percent when the cancer is diagnosed at an early stage. Regular mammography combined with regular clinical breast examinations and breast self-examinations as recommended by the American Cancer Society offer the best opportunity to increase survival."
To celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness Month in Kansas, organizations are coming together to raise awareness, knowledge and screening rates through educational presentations, media promotions, church activities, race events, and low-cost or free breast cancer screening events.
The Kansas FREE to Know Breast & Cervical Cancer Initiative is proud to be a part of these events. FREE to Know (FTK) offers free breast cancer screening services to women 50 years of age and older and who meet income guidelines. FTK was developed to ensure that every woman for whom it is deemed appropriate and who meet program eligibility guidelines receives regular screening for breast and cervical cancers, prompt follow-up if necessary, and certainty that the tests are performed in accordance with current recommendations for quality assurance.
FTK is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and over fifty partners across Kansas. The program, now in its fifth year, is administered through the
Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
For more information about Breast Cancer Awareness Month or the FREE to Know program contact Deb Parsons, Public Health Educator, at 785-296-8161 or the
Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER.