When it comes to cervical cancer, prevention is key.
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McAllen, Tx.- With the current atypical situation due to the coronavirus pandemic, many people may forget to have checkups with their doctor, but whatever the reason, cancer detection is the key to staying healthy.
As January is National Health Awareness Month, Health of the Uterine Neck, the Commission of Health and Texas Human Services encourages women to get screened for this cancer.
“It is very important to have these tests regularly so that we can detect cervical cancer in its early stages, when it is easiest to treat,” says Joe Perez, Acting Deputy Executive Commissioner for Cancer Services. Health, Development and Independence. “The agency is helping women who are most at risk have these vital medical tests done through our Breast and Cervical Cancer Services program.”
The program offers Health low-cost or free for eligible women who are uninsured or underinsured.
Some of these services include cervical and breast cancer screenings, clinical breast exams, mammography, and breast biopsies. It also helps fund clinics across the state to provide these life-saving screening and diagnostic services.
Between September 2019 and September 2020, the program helped more than 24,800 women, so that 9,466 of them were screened for cervical cancer and another 1,043 received treatment for precancerous conditions affecting the cervix.
In 2017, which is the most recent year for which data is available, there were more than 12,000 new cases of cervical cancer in the state. In Texas, this disease is the third most common cancer diagnosed among women ages 20 to 39, and the fifth among women ages 40 to 49.
Screening tests are simple and fast. But crucial for everyone to live the full and healthy life we deserve.
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