Event focuses on cancer screening for local women

From Staff Reports

A special event called Gilfriends’ Night In  on Aug. 1 is aimed at educatng local women about the importance of breast cancer screenings. 
It will also offer assistance for those who may be uninsured or underinsured in obtaining resources to have their own mammogram or cervical cancer screening done. 
The event will take place from 6-8 p.m. at Cornerstone Assembly of God, 105 W. Main St. in Atlanta. 
Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. to visit vendor and educator booths. 
Those attending will enjoy a free dinner courtesy of Ben E. Keith and will be entered to win door prizes, learn valuable information on guidelines for early diagnostic screenings and information on free mammograms and pap tests. 
The Friend to Friend program’s purpose is to encourage women to get regular mammograms and Pap tests for the early detection of breast and cervical cancer, when the disease is most curable.
AgriLife Extension sought and obtained from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) to support the delivery of Friend to Friend, which is an evidence-based program. The goal is to encourage women in rural, frontier and border counties to get regular mammograms and Pap tests for early detection of breast and cervical cancer – when the disease is most curable.
According to Michelle Valentin, Cass County Extension agent, this Texas A&M Agrilife program is designed for targeted counties because of the rural demographic. Women living in rural areas of Texas are less likely than their urban counterparts to have had a mammogram or pap test within the past two years. Mortality is higher for rural women because of later diagnosis. 
Friend to Friend was implemented in 40 Texas counties in 2015. Forty women attended the 2015 event in Hughes Springs. that resulted in 12 women receiving mammograms at the ETMC Mobile Mammography Bus. One of those was paid for by Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. Women were also referred to other available sources for breast and cervical screenings and diagnostics. 
 “Our real goal is to target the women who are uninsured, under-insured and those with high deductibles so that they can fill out a help request form at the event,” Valentin said. “This form then goes to a patient navigator who will set up an appointment with the ETMC mobile mammography bus. 
That bus will be coming to Atlanta about two to three weeks following the event. That will also be located at Cornerstone Assembly.” 
For more information , transportation, or to RSVP, contact Valentin at 903-756-5391