FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Contact: Jessica Robinson, 573-751-0290

First Lady Praises Support of State Program that Provides Free Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening

JEFFERSON CITY - First Lady Melanie Blunt praised the Missouri General Assembly for providing a $500,000 increase to support the Show-Me Healthy Women program that provides free breast and cervical cancer screenings to qualified women.

"Like many Missouri families, my family was touched by breast cancer, when we lost my mother to the disease. Close to four thousand Missouri women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year," said Mrs. Blunt, who serves as honorary chair and spokeswoman for Susan G. Komen for the Cure - Mid Missouri Affiliate. "Breast cancer is a very real threat that we all need to be aware could impact each of us. The most important message I can send about breast cancer is the importance of early detection and the crucial role we all play in our own health."

The breast and cervical cancer screenings are available to qualifying women at local public health agencies, health care facilities or hospitals. To qualify for the program, women must:

• Have a household income of not more than $20,420 for a single woman, increasing by $6,960 for each additional family member.
• Be 35 to 64 years of age or older, and not receiving Medicare Part B, to be eligible for a Pap test, pelvic exam, clinical breast examination by a health care provider and self-breast examination instruction.
• Be age 50 to 64 to be eligible for a mammogram.

Eligible women participating in the program receive diagnostic services for abnormal breast or cervical exams or tests.

Women can find out if they qualify for the Show-Me Healthy Women program by calling the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Information Service toll free at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237) and select option 1, or visit the Show-Me Healthy Women web site at www.dhss.mo.gov/BreastCervCancer.

Promoting breast cancer awareness is an important aspect of the first lady's women's wellness initiative. She serves as spokesperson and honorary chair for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Mid-Missouri Affiliate and is committed to encouraging Missouri women to take time for breast cancer screenings and to promoting breast cancer research and awareness.

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