Breast Cancer Screening in Uninsured Women

Breast Cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide. African American and Hispanic women have a higher incidence of breast cancer mortality rate than their counterparts. Minority women are more are unlikely to receive breast cancer screening and are often diagnosed at later stages. Women diagnosed with abnormal breast screening can experience barriers to timely follow-up care resulting in delays in cancer diagnosis. Early cancer screening and prevention does reduce mortality rates. Despite breast cancer screening programs, minority women continue to have lower screening rates compared to non-minority women. A non-profit Community Health Center (CHC) in South Florida serves low-income, uninsured, and undocumented individuals: Treasure Your Chest (TYC) is CHC’s breast screening program. The purpose of this project was to assess utilization of TYC. This study was conducted through a retrospective approach examining the use of TYC in reducing breast screening among uninsured women ages 50 to 74 years old. After receiving permission, reviews were done on 57 charts of women who met criteria, and data was analyzed using SPSS. Results indicate women did not maximize the service. Recommendations are discussed.