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PROVO — A breast cancer awareness fair in Utah County on Tuesday and Wednesday is one way the county's health department is trying to bring attention to its free cancer screening programs.
Laura Nelson said the main message they want to get to Utah County is to get mammograms.
Utah has one of the lowest rates of mammography screenings in the U.S., and Nelson said the health department is trying to increase that number — especially because mammograms are so readily available.
Nelson, who runs outreach efforts for the Utah County Health Department's cancer screening program, said screenings are available year round, Monday through Friday, for breast cancer and cervical cancer — and it's not just Utah County — screenings are available throughout the state through local health departments.
The screenings are available to anyone whose income is under 250% of the federal poverty level. Nelson said it doesn't matter whether a person has insurance, because even with insurance, if a doctor needs to look more closely or order a biopsy, it might not be covered — but this program covers that, too.
"Even women with insurance can benefit from the program, which is really great," she said.
Nelson also said after someone is diagnosed, the health department can help them get access to Medicaid or other insurance and can connect them with other resources, as well.
She said the department holds the fair twice a year, one in the spring and one in the fall, but this week's services are focused on breast cancer awareness.
It brings attention to resources available for low-income residents, many of which, Nelson said, are available in Spanish. She said many of the nurses who provide the screenings speak Spanish, and some speak Portuguese.
Screenings are regularly available, or get screened on the spot for kidney disease, vision, glucose levels and blood pressure — as well as learn about community health and domestic violence resources.
"It's really a community kind of just coming together to help however we can," she said.
Nelson said women don't need a referral from a doctor to receive a mammogram and they are typically covered by insurance. Women should begin getting yearly screenings for breast cancer at age 40, and should talk to a doctor about getting screened if they have concerns earlier than 40.
One of the booths at the fair was run by Pink Sync, a new Utah County organization started by a Lehi woman who was diagnosed with cancer and was not able to find the type of support she wanted locally.
Toni Allman, who was running the Pink Sync booth, talked about an event held earlier this month to connect breast cancer patients. She said 150 patients attended and multiple doctors spoke at the event — and the sessions were recorded for people who were not healthy enough to come.
She said when you're diagnosed, there are a lot of questions that come quickly, and the event answered questions about hair loss and regrowth, cold capping, hormone therapy and other things.
Allman said 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, and screenings are the best way to detect it quickly, which leads to easier treatment and better outcomes. She said her breast cancer was detected at stage zero, so her treatment didn't include radiation or chemotherapy.
She encouraged women to get mammograms.
"Breast cancer shouldn't be one of those things that scares you, because early detection is probably our best protection," she said.
