Governor Jack Markell Proclaims “May is Mammography Month”
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Susan Oates |
Wilmington, DE – May 10, 2010 – Whereas one in eight women will have breast cancer in their lifetime, Governor Jack Markell has proclaimed “May is Mammography Month” in the State of Delaware to encourage all women over the age of 40 to have yearly mammograms as recommended by the American Cancer Society. Governor Markell met in his Wilmington office, Friday, with representatives of Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition, Inc., Women’s Mobile Health Screening, LLC, and Beebe Hospital to discuss the impact of breast cancer on the women of Delaware. An estimated 110 women in Delaware will die from the effects of breast cancer this year and another 600 more will be newly-diagnosed.
“Imagine if 110 people in Delaware died this year from the flu,” said Priscilla Rakestraw of DBCC. “It would be all over the news as a pandemic. But these women are dying one at a time with small obituaries tucked inside the paper.”
“Early detection and early treatment save lives,” said Governor Markell. “Members of my family are breast cancer survivors, as a result of early detection from mammograms.” With early detection and treatment of breast cancer, 98% of women survive a minimum of five years.
The Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition, through its subsidiary Women’s Mobile Health Screening and in partnership with healthcare professionals and radiologists of Beebe Hospital, provides screenings for women at locations throughout the state with the mobile mammography van. The van visits corporate and community organizations as well as healthcare clinics – including Westside Family Healthcare. Through a contract with Delaware Health and Social Services, WMHS provides low cost or free mammograms for women who are eligible through the Screening for Life program. WMHS provided 40% of all Screening for Life mammograms for all locations in FY 2007-08. (Note: These are the most recent statistics available. The van was off the road during 2009.)
The WMHS van has been upgraded and retrofitted with the latest in digital technology, and is now going through the final stages of testing, inspections and certifications. Look for the van back on the road before summer begins. For information or to schedule the van at your location, please call 302.672.6435.
From L-R: Melany Sammons, WMHS; Susan Oates, DBCC; Priscilla Rakestraw, DBCC; Vicky Tosh-Morelli, DBCC; Vicky Cooke, Exec. Dir., DBCC; and Beth D’Onofrio, Beebe Hospital.
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