Tag Archives: screening

Cervical Health Awareness Month

Leave a reply

By Trenessa K. Jones, DSL
Best Chance Network Director
Division of Cancer Prevention & Control

Cervical Health Awareness Month is an opportunity to raise awareness about how women can protect themselves from cervical cancer, which was once one of the most common causes of cancer death for U.S. women.

While more work remains to prevent and respond to cervical cancer, fortunately the death rate has gone down with the increased use of screening tests.

You may qualify for free screening

The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control’s (DHEC) Best Chance Network (BCN), along with its many partners, work to educate the public on the importance of cervical cancer screenings and help those who cannot afford to get screened.

BCN, which is administered by DHEC’s Cancer Prevention and Control Division, offers breast and cervical cancer screenings at no cost to women who have no health insurance or only have hospitalization insurance, who are between the ages of 30 and 64, and who meet certain program and income guidelines. The BCN program partners with more than 450 health care providers in the state to coordinate cancer screenings for these under-served women. The program also offers diagnosis and treatment, data tracking, public education and more.

The work of BCN

Since its inception in 1991, BCN has provided more than 225,000 breast cancer and cervical cancer screenings for eligible women, assisting nearly 11,000 this past year alone.

According to the National Cancer Institute/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention State Cancer Profile, an average of 190 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer a year, while about 72 women die from the disease every year in South Carolina.  Thanks to an increase in routine Pap smears, cervical cancer rates have dropped drastically in the last 60 years, but South Carolina still ranks 14th in the nation for new cases of cervical cancer and 11th in the nation for cervical cancer deaths.

Cervical cancer symptoms may not be present in early stages.  That’s why routine screenings are so important; when caught and treated early, cervical cancer is highly curable.

“No woman in South Carolina should die from this highly preventable cancer. Regular screenings and follow up care are critical and if found early and treated it can be cured,” said Virginie Daguise, Ph.D., director of DHEC’s Bureau of Community Health and Chronic Disease Prevention.

Visit the DHEC website for more information on BCN.

The Importance of Men’s Health

1 Reply

By Jim Beasley

men%27s health month

June is Men’s Health Month, with efforts made to heighten the awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys.

Men’s Health Network and health care providers across the state encourage men to take time to detect and protect.

There are numerous illnesses that affect men specifically, and it’s important to either guard against them or receive the treatment necessary.

The Men’s Health Network provides a free resource that establishes a guide for healthy men and boys. Blueprint for Men’s Health covers topics ranging from consultation with your health provider, diet and nutrition, exercise and overall wellness, sexual health, prostate health, testicular cancer, emotional well-being, and problems associated with the heart.

The booklet even addresses some of the special health concerns for African-Americans, Latinos and other minorities.

Guys, the main message is this: talk with your health care provider and make time now to get the age-appropriate tests you need.

It’s that simple.

As it is with most illness, your chances of controlling or curing any health problem could hinge upon early detection. Get on the right path toward wellness. Information is key to helping yourself.

Increasing access to cervical cancer screening

By Jamie Shuster

(The following post was originally sent as an email to DHEC Public Health staff on 1/17/14.)

sc best chance networkScreening for cervical cancer is a key public health intervention that saves lives, as early detection and treatment results in greatly improved outcomes for patients. Cervical cancer is almost 100% curable if detected in its earliest stages.

Our Best Chance Network (BCN) began screening women for cervical and breast cancer in 1991, and has provided more than 153,000 Pap smear tests to low-income and uninsured women who likely could not have accessed this service without BCN. Six percent of these screening tests were abnormal and required diagnostic follow-up. With the help of BCN, more than 1,000 women have been diagnosed and treated for pre-cancerous lesions or invasive cervical cancer, and nearly 80% were diagnosed in the early stages of the disease. Continue reading →