Susan G. Komen for the Cure's Phoenix Affiliate, State Officials, Survivors and Advocates Call for Action on Bre...( Arizona Joins Nationwide Campaign C...),Health

Arizona Joins Nationwide Campaign Challenging U.S. to Close the Gaps in

Breast Cancer Care, Survival

PHOENIX, Sept. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- The Phoenix Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure will host two events Oct. 3 and 7 to launch the state's participation in the Komen Community Challenge. The events mark the 10th stop of the 25-city campaign to elevate breast cancer on the national agenda and to draw attention to disparities in breast cancer mortality, and will help kick off the 15th Annual Komen Phoenix Race for the Cure on Sunday, Oct. 14, 2007 in its new location, the State Capitol District.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070122/NYM084LOGO )

Nationwide, one in eight women will get breast cancer in her lifetime. Many Americans -- racial and ethnic minorities, low income women and those with little or no health insurance -- are less likely to receive quality cancer care and are more likely to die from the disease. In Arizona, breast cancer is the leading cause of death and the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women. An estimated 2,800 Arizona women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year and 600 will die of the disease.

Arizona's Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program provides free screenings for low-income and uninsured women. But at its current funding levels, the program serves only about six percent of eligible women. In addition, the State takes advantage of a loophole in the federal law to deny Medicaid coverage to women with breast cancer who were screened outside the program -- we must close the gaps.

Details for October 3, 2007

Mountain Park Health Center is improving access to mammography for low-income women through a groundbreaking new program called "Breast Health for Life". Low-income women are more likely to be diagnosed with late-stage breast cancer and are thre
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