OCTOBER IS BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

Mammography Van Increases Screening Availability

October 3, 2014 (Dover, DE) - October is breast cancer awareness month and the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition (DBCC) is working with the Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) to highlight the importance of breast cancer screening and early detection. Early detection is the best way to increase cancer survival rates and mammography screening is the best tool in use today to detect breast cancer early. The Delaware Cancer Consortium recommends screening annually beginning at age 40, depending on one's family history.

DPH's Women's Mobile Health Screening mammography van travels to locations throughout the state to provide screening to women. DPH provides funding to DBCC to operate and staff the year-round efforts in partnership with Beebe Medical Center. In 2013, over 800 women were screened on the van.

The mammography van can go to areas where transportation may be a barrier to receiving a mammogram. DBCC's bilingual screening navigator overcomes language barriers and guides people with no insurance to the Health Insurance Marketplace for comprehensive insurance, or resources like Medicaid and Screening for Life to cover the cost of screenings. Through the Affordable Care Act, preventive screenings such as mammograms are now fully covered by all insurance providers.

"Breast Cancer Awareness Month is about more than pink ribbons," said Vicky Cooke, executive director of the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition. "Prevention and early detection are key factors in the fight again breast cancer. We ask all women to learn about their risk factors and get regular mammography screenings."

"Prevention is the best protection," said Dr. Karyl Rattay, DPH director. "Eating well, regular physical activity, not smoking, and routine screenings can all reduce your risk of cancer."

With support from DPH, DBCC provides an annual breast cancer symposium each spring, featuring leading medical experts and other speakers discussing the most current topics in breast cancer diagnosis, treatment, detection, and survivorship. The annual one-day educational forum is free and open to the public, and has become one of Delaware's most trusted sources of up-to date breast cancer information. Next year's session will take place at Dover Downs on Wednesday, April 22, 2015.

DPH is committed to partnerships that promote the health and well-being of Delawareans. The Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition is the only statewide organization focused solely on breast cancer in Delaware. The coalition runs programs and services within Delaware, and nearby regions of Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New Jersey. To women and men recently diagnosed with breast cancer, they offer programs such as mentors, survivorship activities, and much more.

To learn more about DBCC, please visit www.debreastcancer.org.

To learn more about the mammography van, please call 888-672-9647. For more information on prevention and early detection of cancer and other chronic diseases, visit www.HealthyDelaware.org.

A person who is deaf, hard-of-hearing, deaf-blind, or speech-disabled can call the DPH phone number above by using TTY services. Dial 7-1-1 or 800-232-5460 to type your conversation to a relay operator, who reads your conversation to a hearing person at DPH. The relay operator types the hearing person's spoken words back to the TTY user. To learn more about TTY availability in Delaware, visit http://delawarerelay.com. Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware's citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations. DPH, a division of DHSS, urges Delawareans to make healthier choices with the 5-2-1 Almost None campaign: eat 5 or more fruits and vegetables each day, have no more than 2 hours of recreational screen time each day (includes TV, computer, gaming), get 1 or more hours of physical activity each day, drink almost no sugary beverages.

Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware's citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations.