The Breast Friends: Women in Touch Event Included Free Screenings for 182 Women.
On Sunday October 14th, AUA, The Lion’s Club of Antigua, and Breast Friends: Women in Touch, hosted a Breast Screening Health Fair at Mt. Saint John’s Medical Centre. The turnout was particularly impressive, with 182 women from around the island showing up as early as 5:00AM to take advantage of free breast screenings. In total, eight women were referred for mammograms that same day, and many were referred for routine mammograms. Breast Friends: Woman in Touch is a cancer support and awareness group led by breast cancer survivors and patients, as well as their friends and family members.
The outlook for patients with breast cancer is encouraging with a global survival rate of early stage breast cancers at 80-90 percent, according to the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO). Yet early detection is critical and almost a quarter for those diagnosed each year succumb to the disease. With this and the success of the Health Fair in mind, we look forward to working on more outreach initiatives like this one with Breast Friends.
