The 32nd anniversary of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month is being recognized by the Iroquois County Health Department.

The Iroquois County Public Health Department works with the Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program to provide free screenings for ALL uninsured women in Iroquois County between the ages of 40 and 64. Younger women with symptoms also may qualify. If needed, many treatments are also covered under the program. If you live in Illinois, are without health insurance and are between 40 and 64 years old, please contact Jane at 815-432-2483 (Monday through Friday 8:30am-4:30pm) to get enrolled in this life-saving program. You can also visit www.cancerscreening.illinois.gov for more information.

Breast cancer continues to be the most common cancer diagnosed in women other than skin cancer and is the second leading cause of cancer deaths for women. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. It is estimated that there will be 252,710 new cases of breast cancer diagnosed across the United States in 2017. Vonda Pruitt, Director of Nursing at the Iroquois County Public Health Department states that “the best chance for detecting breast cancer early is through mammography screenings and earlier detection gives higher survival rates.”

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