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ACS Program Aims To Reduce Cancer Among Minority Women The American Cancer Society launched its “Sister to Sister” initiative today that aims to reduce the burden of cancer among African-American and Hispanic women in New York City. This special initiative will build and train a network of African-American and Hispanic female volunteers from the community to increase breast, cervical and colorectal health awareness among their peers and direct women over 40, particularly those that are uninsured and underinsured, to get regular cancer screening tests at free locations in New York City. “Uninsured and underinsured Afri-can-American and Hispanic women are diagnosed with breast, cervical or colorectal cancers at later stages due to lack of access to primary health care,” states Karen Schmitt, MA, RN, Chair, American Cancer Society’s Healthy Women’s Partnership. “Sister to Sister” volunteers will conduct peer education sessions, teach techniques to promote good breast, cervical and colon health, and help uninsured and underinsured women obtain free or low-cost mammogram, Pap, and colorectal tests through the Healthy Women’s Partnership and the New York City Council Colon Cancer Screening Grant Program at free locations in the city that include the Breast Exam-ination Center of Harlem, a community program of Memorial Sloan-Ket-tering Cancer Center and the Avon Foundation Breast Imaging Center at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Co-lumbia. Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among Afri-can-American and Hispanic women. In 2006, the American Cancer Society estimates that 19,240 African-Ame-rican and 14,300 Hispanic women will be diagnosed with breast cancer resulting in 5,640 and 1,740 deaths respectively. Colon cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in both African-American and Hispanic wo-men. In 2006, the ACS estimates that 16,090 African-American and 3,790 Hispanic women will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer resulting in 7,080 and 1,010 deaths respectively. For more information about the “Sister to Sister” program, or for cancer information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, please contact the American Cancer Society at 1.800.ACS.2345 or visit www.cancer.org.
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