UpDate - Vol. 13, No. 7, Page 8
October 14, 1993
Oct. 19: Get Mammogram Day

     October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and Oct. 19 has been
designated Get A Mammogram Day, when women are encouraged to either get a
mammogram or schedule an appointment for one.
     During October, low-cost-or in some cases free (if a woman meets the
guidelines)-mammograms are available in Delaware from the Mammography of
Delaware mobile van. To make an appointment, call 428-4228.
     To encourage women to have this important procedure, the University of
Delaware is offering two free football tickets to the University of
Richmond game on Nov. 13 to the first 50 women who have mammograms in the
van.
     Mammograms detect breast cancer at an early stage and can reveal a
lump the size of five grains of salt. The survival rate for localized
breast cancer has risen from 78 percent to 93 percent, and the key is early
detection, according to the American Cancer Society.
     A woman should have her first mammogram by the age of 40 and have one
done every two years until the age of 50 when it should be done annually.
More than 75 percent of diagnosed breast cancers occur in women over 50.
     Women of all ages should perform monthly breast self-examinations.
     The A to Z Project, providing free mammograms to women who have no
insurance or are under-insured, is sponsored by the American Cancer Society
and Zeneca Inc. at accredited mammography sites throughout the state.
                                        -Sue Swyers Moncure