STARKVILLE — With breast cancer awareness at an all-time high, there’s still thousands of women who don’t receive an annual mammogram.
Whether it’s due to a lack of health insurance or a belief that age and a relatively healthy lifestyle significantly lowers risk, many women are skipping screenings.
“I know there are ladies who choose not to have one, for a variety of reasons,” said Cherri Lightsey, office manager at the OCH Center for Breast Health and Imaging in Starkville. “Sometimes, it can be of fear of a doctor finding something.”
Breast cancer accounts for nearly 23 percent of all cancers found in women and claims more than 450,000 lives a year worldwide.
Early diagnosis can make the difference in odds of survival, if the cancer hasn’t metastasized significantly to other parts of the body. Early detection can also determine how a patient will be treated. Surgically removing the tumor is an option, but patients can be treated with drugs, hormonal therapy and chemotherapy.
Lightsey is also a survivor. She was diagnosed two years ago after a mammogram revealed a tumor.
“I don’t think anything is normal after you’re told that,” Lightsey said. “But it’s a bit comforting to know we found it when we did.”
The idea of treating cancer — and its costs – can be daunting. But for some women, the cost of a yearly mammogram can be an issue.
Starkville’s breast health center has publicized assistance programs to provide financial assistance to those who need it.
With the help of the Pink Heals Tour, a firefighter-led breast cancer awareness group, the center helped raise more than $7,000 toward its assistance programs last year. The amount was enough to pay for 35 mammograms.
The Pink Heals’ pink fire truck makes a stop in Starkville on Monday, beginning with a pep rally at Sudduth Elementary. The truck will make two stops at local fire departments and will visit OCH-Regional Medical Center from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.
With pre-orders of Pink Heals/Starkville Fire Department shirts, the center has already raised more than $8,000. They’ll also raffle off a 32-inch flat-screen TV.
“I’ve worked with breast cancer patients for over 30 years and a lot of the advancements have been made because of the increased awareness,” Lightsey said. “The 1 in 8 statistic is very real, and it takes a lot of research and money to treat people.”
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