Access to Care: Increase Funding for Breast and Cervical Cancer Screenings in Georgia

Increase Funding for Breast and Cervical Cancer Screenings in Georgia

Goal: Increase program funding and access to mammograms and paps smears for uninsured and underinsured women who are eligible for the Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program to reduce breast and cervical cancer incidence and mortality rates across Georgia

Enhance Breast and Cervical Cancer Screenings Access

Cancer screenings detect cancer earlier when it is easier and less expensive to treat.  ACS CAN and its partners continue to support and advocate for funding for the Georgia Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program. 

Today, more than ever, it is important to protect funding for this life-saving program. Georgia’s Breast and Cervical Cancer program provides free pap tests to women aged 21 to 64 and mammograms to women aged 40 to 64 who are uninsured, underinsured, and have income below 200 percent of the federal poverty level. From 2007-2012, Georgia’s program detected 566 invasive breast cancers and 300 cervical cancers and precancerous lesions.

• Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women today.
• Finding breast and cervical cancer at an early stage increases the opportunity for effective treatment and patient survival.
• Uninsured and underinsured women have lower screening rates for mammograms and pap tests, resulting in a greater risk of being diagnosed at a later, more advanced, stage of disease.