Little Rock— One in eight women in Arkansas will develop breast cancer during her lifetime, and more than 180,000 women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year.

"Nearly 400 women in Arkansas are expected to die this year from breast cancer," said Angela Grimmett, health educator supervisor for the Breast Cancer Control Program in Arkansas. "Up to a third of these deaths could be prevented through early detection."

The more a woman knows about breast cancer, the more control she will have over her own health. The perfect opportunity to gain more awareness about this deadly disease is during National Public Health Week, April 2 through April 8. The Arkansas BreastCare Program, administered by the Arkansas Department of Health, is available to provide low-income women of Arkansas with free breast cancer screenings, diagnosis and treatment.

The Arkansas General Assembly passed the Breast Cancer Act of 1997 and established the Breast Cancer Control Program. Arkansas BreastCare, a program of the Arkansas Department of Health, was created to provide low-income women of Arkansas with education, screening, diagnosis and treatment for breast cancer. BreastCare is dedicated to saving the lives of the women in Arkansas through early detection and prevention of breast cancer.

Women in Arkansas can call BreastCare's toll-free telephone number, 1-877-670-CARE (2273), which is available from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday. BreastCare personnel will answer questions, provide breast cancer information, and make enrollment and mammogram appointments during the call.

"For women who say that breast cancer isn't in their family, they should realize that while family history is a risk factor, 80 percent of women who get breast cancer have no family history," said Grimmett. "And for those who say they can't afford a mammogram, they simply need to call the BreastCare toll-free hotline to see if they are eligible. There should be no woman in our state who cannot get a mammogram because she can't afford it." National Public Health Week is the ideal opportunity to begin the defense against breast cancer. For more information on early detection of breast cancer and to determine eligibility for a free mammogram, call the BreastCare toll-free number at 1-877-670-CARE (2273).

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