Mammogram Time is Here! Free for some Livingston County MI Residents

ITS OCTOBER AND ITS FREE MAMMOGRAM TIME AGAIN!

Free mammograms available to some Livingston County residents

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and residents of Livingston County who are over age 40 and don't have insurance that covers mammograms might be eligible for free mammograms.

A mammogram is an X-ray-based image that has been proved to detect a majority of breast cancer, According to the American Cancer Society, regular mammography is the most effective screening test for the early detection of breast cancer available to women today.

"We have two offices in Livingston County offering the Title 15 program, free mammograms provided by the state of Michigan for those who qualify," says Phyllis Bennett, physician reimbursement representative with Livingston Obstetrics and Gynecology. One of those offices is adjacent to the St. Joseph Mercy Livingston Hospital in Howell on Byron Road and a second office in the Woodland Health Center on Grand River Avenue in Genoa Township. "In addition to being over 40 and not having proper insurance, a woman must also meet certain income guidelines to qualify."

Bennett says the Title 15 program began about seven years ago, and that Livingston County Obstetrics and Gynecology sees up to 80 patients every year who qualify for free mammograms.

"It's no secret that early detection saves lives and increases treatment options," says Tamara Rummel, area executive director of the American Cancer Society, Great Lakes Division, who says that it is important that the nation's underinsured population have access to mammograms.

Breast cancer ranks third among cancer deaths in women in Michigan (after lung and colon cancer) and second in the nation (after lung cancer). It is the most frequently diagnosed cancer among Michigan women.

According to Kady Davenport, communications specialist for the local chapter of the American Cancer Society, during the past decade, an average of 80 women were newly diagnosed with breast cancer each year in Livingston County. Between 2000 and 2004, there were an average of 16 deaths per year in the county due to breast cancer. Early detection through mammograms and clinical breast exams remain the most effective weapons against breast cancer according to the Livingston County Department of Public Health.

The Michigan Cancer Consortium recommends monthly breast self exams for women age 20 and older. Women should report any breast change promptly to their health care provider. Mammography is recommended annually for women starting at age 40.
Free mammogram information: Call 1-877-221-6505.

Lisa Carolin can be reached at lcarolin@livingstoncommunitynews.com or at 810-844-2010.