Dr. Ellen Cuddeback chats with a patient during the recent Yes Ma’am program.
WYANDOTTE — Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital held its annual Yes Ma’am event, which provides free breast cancer screening and mammograms to uninsured women, Oct. 29, in connection with National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This year’s day-long event marks the 11th year of the Yes Ma’am program and served over 30 women in the community.
The program provides free appointments for uninsured Downriver women to receive clinical breast examinations and mammograms. The goal of the event is to increase public awareness about breast cancer and the importance of routine breast self-examinations, and follow the recommended schedule for clinical breast examinations and mammography.
The American Cancer Society estimates in 2011 there will be approximately 230,480 new cases of invasive breast cancer in women in the United States and 57,650 new cases of carcinoma in situ (an early form of breast cancer). Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the U.S. and is second only to lung cancer as a cause of cancer death in women.
The risk of mortality from breast cancer has gone down due to a combination of earlier cancer detection and improvements in cancer treatment, such a mammogram and radiation therapy.
To schedule a yearly mammogram, call (734) 246-6091 or schedule online at henryfordwyandotte.com.