Every Woman Counts in Louisiana: Breast Cancer Survivors and Advocates Across the State Call for Level Support of the LA Breast and Cervical Health Program

Komen for the Cure Advocates Stress Importance of Early Detection

Baton Rouge, LA (June 15, 2011) -- Dressed in bold pink, breast cancer survivors and advocates from across Louisiana traveled to Baton Rouge Wednesday, June 15, to shine a spotlight on the fact that Louisiana leads the nation in the rate of breast cancer deaths. The advocate's message was simple: Every woman counts in Louisiana!

Organized by the state's Susan G. Komen for the Cure® Affiliates, the breast cancer advocates reminded rally participants that the 5-year survival rate for breast cancer when found early is 98 percent, but plummets to 23 percent when the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. Speakers and rally attendees urged women and men to be proactive about breast health and stressed the importance of early detection for the best breast cancer treatment outcomes and options.

To make sure that uninsured and underinsured women in Louisiana continue to have access to critical early screening and mammography services, the group urged legislators to maintain their support for level funding in the FY 2012 Louisiana budget for the Louisiana Breast and Cervical Health Program (LBCHP). Between July 2002 and May 2011, the program performed almost 72,000 mammograms and diagnosed 645 breast cancers.

"We fully understand the tough economic situation our elected leaders face and the difficult choices they must make," said Lisa W. Plunkett, Executive Director of the Komen New Orleans Affiliate. "We also know that for many women, the state's screening program ensures that a lost job or lost insurance doesn't result in a lost life."

LBCHP is a program funded jointly by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the state of Louisiana. Though this program does not have its own specific line item in the state budget, funding for the program is derived from an allocation provided to the LSU Health Care Services Division. From its FY 2011 funding, the LSU HCSD dedicated an estimated $700,000 to BCHP, allowing this life-saving program to provide breast cancer screenings to thousands of low-income women in our state, many of whom have nowhere else to turn for these services.

"The LBCHP provides quality, no-cost breast and cervical cancer early detection services to uninsured, low income Louisiana women. Special emphasis is given to reaching women who rarely or never receive screening services," said Roxane Townsend, M.D., Assistant Vice President for Health Systems at the Office of Health Affairs and Medical Education in the LSU System. "In FY 2010 alone, the program performed 11,507 mammograms and identified 119 breast cancers," added Dr. Townsend.

The LBCHP partners with local providers to deliver services, including: E.A. Conway Medical Center, Earl K. Long Medical Center, Lallie Kemp Regional Medical Center, Leonard J. Chabert Medical Center, Louisiana Oncology Associates, Interim LSU Hospital, LSUHSC Shreveport, St. Thomas Community Health Center, University Medical Center, Woman's Hospital, and YWCA of Greater Baton Rouge ENCOREplus. Many of these programs also receive grants from local Louisiana Affiliates of Komen for the Cure, for the purposes of supplementing the number of education, screening and mammography services available to women in need residing in Louisiana.

Komen provides hope, assistance and a voice for women in the state. Last year alone, the Komen Louisiana Affiliates invested $2.2 million in local education, outreach, and breast health services, and since 2001, Komen has provided more than $1.4 million in research grants to institutions in the state.

"We are all just one biopsy away from a changed life. That's why we need to focus on prevention and early detection measures. This allows treatment to begin early, when treatment options are typically more effective and much less costly," said Janet Dewey-Kollen, Executive Director of the Komen Baton Rouge Affiliate.


About Susan G. Komen for the Cure®

Nancy G. Brinker promised her dying sister, Susan G. Komen, she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever. In 1982, that promise became Komen for the Cure and launched a global breast cancer movement. Komen for the Cure works to better the lives of those facing breast cancer in the local communities by joining more than 2.5 million breast cancer survivors around the globe as part of the world's largest and most progressive grassroots network fighting breast cancer.

Seventy-five percent of net proceeds generated by affiliates benefit local programs with the remaining funds going to the national Susan G. Komen for the Cure Grants Program to fund research. Since 1982, Komen has invested more than $1.9 billion in research and life-saving community programs. Research: Beginning with a single grant for $28,000 in 1982, we have now invested more than $610 million in research. We currently manage more than 550 active research grants totaling nearly $300 million. After touching every major advance in breast cancer science, Komen is now focused on innovative research to bring treatments from the lab to the bedside quickly. Community Programs: Komen's network of Affiliates funds nearly 2,000 organizations providing education, screening, patient navigation and emergency financial support for those facing breast cancer worldwide. Annually we fund more than 600,000 screenings, and financial and emotional support programs for more than 100,000 women and men.

For more information call (225) 615-8740 or visit www.komen.org/Affiliates

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