It’s expensive to be poor.
Preventive screenings for breast cancer can cost a few hundred dollars without insurance. But, as cancer rates continue to rise in the state’s low income counties, state-funded health clinics continue to help low-income women
40 and up protect themselves with free or low-cost cancer screenings.
The top five cancers that threaten women are skin, lung and bronchus, colorectal and breast — with breast cancer being the second most common cancer to cause death in U.S. women behind lung cancer.
Chloe Castrodad, public information officer and senior health educator with the Sumter County Florida Department of Health, said early detection is key to diagnosis and treatment of breast and cervical cancers, recommending people take advantage of the Florida Breast & Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (FBCC).
“Early detection significantly increases the chances of successful treatment. When breast or cervical cancer is found in its earliest stages, treatment is often less invasive, more effective, and survival rates are much higher,” Castrodad said.
Cancer rates in Florida have risen, with breast cancer rates rising to 134.6 per 100,000 women in 2022 from 109.3 in 2020, according to the Florida Department of Health. Cervical cancer rates rose to 1,093 cases per 100,000 women in 2021 from 1,030 cases per 100,000 women in 2020.
Black women are twice as likely to die from breast cancer, according to a 2021 study printed in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarker and Prevention.
It’s recommended that all women preform monthly self-breast exams to encourage early detection. Women
40 and older should get mammogram screenings every one to two years.
Women who consistently get breast cancer screenings from ages 40-79 have the highest reduction in mortality by nearly 42%, according to a paper in Radiology, a journal of Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
“It comes down to valuing women’s lives. I am hoping that primary care physicians see that risks of screening are manageable, and the benefits are tremendous. We need to do this for women,” said Dr. Debra Monticciolo, lead researcher for the study and professor of radiology at Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine in New Hampshire.
Despite evidence that early detection saves lives, only 50% or less of women eligible for annual free or low cost cancer screenings took advantage of the offer in 2023, according to Susan G. Komen, a non-profit that that works to address breast cancer with research, public policy and global outreach.
Scott Darius, executive director of Florida Voices for Health, said a lack of trust for health care providers or a fear of bad news could prevent people from taking advantage of life-saving care. The Florida Voices of Health works to increase accessibility and affordability in the state’s health care system through storytelling and civic engagement.
“People fear getting bad news and then having to worry about how you will take care of that (health issue). Fear keeps people from taking advantage of free access, but access is power,” Darius said.
Women in FBCC who are screened and receive positive diagnosis could also be eligible for Medicaid for breast and cervical cancer treatment. Darius said the requirement that $1,149 per month is the most a single adult can make to still qualify for Medicaid in the state is also limiting access to care.
He also feels the state is at a critical moment to improve access to health care for low-income individuals and families.
“The people we know are in situations where if they are working hard enough to earn a $1 or $2 raise, they have worked themselves into the coverage gap where they don’t qualify for health care,” Darius said. “That’s means the real reward is that you’ve worked yourself out of the service. That’s terrible.”
Regardless of fears of receiving bad news, Darius said people should take their health seriously and get regular health checkups.
“I would encourage everyone to look at their local health department and see what services they qualify for,” Darius said.
The Sumter County DOH provides screenings for the program at the Bushnell Main Clinic, 415 East Noble Avenue, Bushnell, and the Wildwood Satellite Clinic, 104 Rutland St., Wildwood. The county DOH works with the FBCC Pasco region, which oversees Pasco, Sumter, Hernando, and Citrus counties.
To qualify for the program — which provides free screenings, clinical breast exams, pap tests and mammogram referrals — women must be: a Florida resident, 50-64 years old or be 40-49 with a family history of breast cancer, have no health insurance to cover the exams and have a household income that is 200% or less than the poverty level.
Women who don’t qualify for FBCC can receive a screening or clinical breast exam for a small fee.
“There is a significant need in Sumter County, especially among underserved and uninsured populations. Many women delay preventive care due to cost barriers or lack of access, which can lead to later-stage cancer diagnoses. Programs like the FBCC are crucial in closing this gap and ensuring women receive timely, potentially life-saving screenings,” Castrodad said.
Along with having several clinics that provide screenings through the FBCC with the Sumter County DOH, The Villages is also home to Lake Medical Imaging, a partner with The Villages Health that specializes in breast cancer detection offering mammograms, cat scans, MRIs and ultrasounds.
“Detecting cancer early can also reduce the emotional and financial burden on families and the healthcare system,” Castrodad said.
Those who may need financial assistance can apply for financial aid from the Florida Cancer Specialists Foundation.
The nonprofit provides patients with one financial award per calendar year for up to two years, which can be used to pay rent, homeowners or rental insurance, utilities, phone bill or car payments.
Applications for 2025 will remain open through Oct. 1. The last day to submit bills for payment is Dec. 5. Applications are only being accepted online at fcsf.org/financial-aid or by contacting the foundation’s office at 941-677-7183.
Other agencies that provide funding for breast and other cancer screenings include Susan G. Komen For The Cure and CancerCare.
For more information about the FBCC, visit floridahealth.gov.
Staff writer Brea Jones can be reached at 352-753-1119, ext. 5414, or brea.jones@thevillagesmedia.com.
