A new study shows Latina women are almost twice as likely to get screened for breast cancer if they’re visited by a community health worker.
Lead author of the study, Gloria Coronado, said it raises an important question, “There’s definitely some policy implications with respect to how do we get this type of care funded and paid for by insurance?”
The study is published in the journal ‘Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention.’
Breast cancer is the most common cancer found among American women. But Latinas are more likely to be diagnosed at later stages — meaning their cancers tend to be more advanced and more resistant to treatment.
In a separate program, Kaiser Permanente is providing free mammograms to 3,000 Latinas around the Salem and Portland areas. The screenings can be accessed by calling the Susan G. Komen Foundation.
The program will run for five years and covers the cost of care for anyone diagnosed with breast cancer.
