Illinois to Offer Free Cancer Screenings for Uninsured Women

Governor Rod Blagojevich made Illinois the first and only state in the country to offer free breast and cervical cancer screenings and treatment for all uninsured women. This new program called "Take Charge , Get Screened" campaign emphasizes that every woman should get screened for cancer because when it is caught early there is a greater chance of survival. Illinois already has a great program in place called the Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program (IBCCP). Starting on October 1st , all women who need access to cancer screenings and treatment will be able to get it. More than 260,000 women in Illinois can qualify for this free testing and treatment regardless of their income.

In 2003, 8,064 women in Illinois had been recently diagnosed with either breast or cervical cancer. 2,057 women died that year from these cancers. If cancer is caught early, there is a greater chance of surviving the disease. That's why this is such an important program. Many women don't have the financial means to access these screenings and treatments. The IBCCP's new program now offers free pelvic exams and free pap tests to any uninsured woman age 35-64. Women 40 - 64, who are also uninsured, will be able to have free breast exams. If a younger woman is showing symptoms and meets their guidelines, they will consider them for treatment on a case to case basis.

The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2007, about 11,150 cases of invasive cervical cancer will be diagnosed in the United States. Approximately 3,670 women will die from cervical cancer in the United States in 2007. Cervical cancer occurs most often in Hispanic women. The rate is twice that for non-Hispanic white women. African-American women will develop this cancer 50% more often than non-Hispanic white women.