Free mammograms for uninsured Staten Island women

Uninsured women age 40 and over who have not had a mammogram in the past year can sign up for a free screening Sunday at the Staten Island Hindu Temple in Sunnyside.

Project Renewal’s Scan Van will be on hand to offer the mobile mammograms beginning at 10 a.m. outside 1318 Victory Blvd. An appointment is necessary and can be made by calling 800-564-6868. The service also accepts Medicaid/Medicare and most other insurance plans, in addition to being offered free to uninsured eligible women.

The screenings are funded by the Cancer Services Program of Staten Island, Richmond County Savings Foundation and Avon Breast Care Fund.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) recommends that women age 40 and over go for a mammogram each year. Breast cancers that are found because they are causing symptoms tend to be larger and more likely to have already spread beyond the breast, the organization states. In contrast, those found during screening exams are more likely to be smaller and confined to the breast. The size of a breast cancer and how far it has spread are important factors in predicting the prognosis of a woman with this disease, according to the ACS.

For more information on the Scan Van, visit projectrenewal.org, or for more on breast cancer, visit cancer.org.