The Metropolitan Chicago Breast Cancer Task Force launched its Beyond October! initiative, which is providing over 1,000 free mammograms to uninsured women.
The initiative emphasizes the importance of mammograms beyond October’s breast cancer awareness month and helps to lessen waitlists in the Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer program.
Annual mammograms are key for early detection of breast cancer, which significantly increases the chances of successful treatment and survival.
“African-American women, particularly, should be taking advantage of this program since even though African-American women in Chicago get breast cancer less often than white women, they die from breast cancer more often,” Dr. Anne Marie Murphy, the Task Force’s executive director, said in a statement.
Starting in October and until the free mammograms are depleted, the Task Force will be registering uninsured women 40 and older.
To sign up for a free mammogram uninsured women can: call 312-942-0346 or register online at http://www.chicagobreastcancer.org/epage/138889_904.htm
Hospitals donating free mammograms include:
Rush University Medical Center
University of Chicago
Mercy Hospital and Medical Center
Loretto Hospital
Loyola University Medical Center
Roseland Hospital
Advocate South Suburban
Advocate Christ Medical Center
Alexian Brothers Medical Center
St. Alexius
Advocate Good Samaritan
Mount Sinai Hospital through the Helping Her Live Program