A free breast and cervical cancer early detection program called the HealthyWoman Program is available through the Pennsylvania Department of Health.
Free services for those meeting the eligibility standards include:
- Clinical breast examination
- Mammogram
- Pelvic examination and Pap smear
- Education on breast self-exam
- Follow-up diagnostic care for an abnormal result
To view a chart of Eligibility at a Glance click here or call 1-800-215-7494 to find out if you are eligible.
If breast or cervical cancer is detected through the HWP, patients will be able to receive free treatment through the Department of Public Welfare’s Breast and Cervical Cancer Preventionand Treatment Program.
Why is the HealthyWoman Program Important?
- Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among women. Only bronchus/lung cancer causes more deaths than breast cancer.
- Breast cancer risk increases with age.
- Caucasian women are slightly more likely to develop breast cancer than African-American women. African-American women are more likely to die of this cancer. Asian, Hispanic, and Native-American women have a lower risk of developing and dying from breast cancer.
- Fifty percent of cervical cancer cases are diagnosed among Pennsylvania women age 50 or over.
- African-American women over age 50 are at a greater risk for cervical cancer than Caucasian women.
- Cervical cancer is often diagnosed because of missed opportunities for screening, early diagnosis, and treatment.
- Human papillomavirus, or HPV, is the primary cause of cervical cancer.
- Cervical cancer occurs most often in Hispanic women; the rate is over twice that in non-Hispanic white women.
