Linking uninsured North Texas women to diagnostic and treatment services for breast cancer

The Bridge Breast Network, Dallas, Texas saves lives by linking low-income, uninsured, and underinsured North Texas women to diagnostic and treatment services for breast cancer.

Breast cancer treatment can put a serious strain on the budget, and especially if the person no health insurance or is underinsured.  Medications and doctors' visits can be expensive and the medical health plan may not cover all the parts of the cancer diagnosis, breast cancer treatment or therapy needed.  The person with breast cancer may not be able to work as much as before.  She will lose income, and may therefore not be able to stick to a treatment plan.  Also, if there is a need to travel a long distance for treatment, travel costs can mount up.  The physical, emotional, and then financial cost of treatment can be exhausting to the person with breast cancer and all the people closest to her.

In the facts and figures report for Texas for 2002-2003, the American Cancer Society reports that in Texas, approximately 10,500 new cases of female invasive breast cancer are diagnosed each year, and breast cancer is the most common cancer among women, regardless of race or ethnicity.  Non-Hispanic white females are diagnosed with breast cancer at higher rates than other race or ethnicity groups, but African American females die at higher rates.  This finding may suggest major differences in early diagnosis, treatment, and other risk factors influencing the disease. 

When breast cancer is diagnosed at its earliest stage, survival is excellent.  Detection at an early stage has a significant impact on the likelihood of successful treatment and survival.  Almost two thirds of female breast cancers in Texas are detected at an early stage.  However, the stage of diagnosis varies among different racial and ethnic groups, and the lower income groups, who are more likely to lack insurance and who come from areas with lower education levels, are less likely to be diagnosed than non-Hispanic whites and other races, such as Asian or American Indian, mainly due to the fact that these groups are also less likely to have the routine mammogram screening or routine clinical breast examinations by a health care professional.  Studies also show that these groups are less likely to get a diagnostic test to make an assessment or appropriate treatment decisions, perhaps because they lack insurance and cannot afford the tests.

• Uninsured or Medicaid-insured patients are far more likely to be diagnosed with an advanced stage cancer than those with private insurance. 
• Uninsured women are less likely to be screened in the first place, which means that many of those advanced cancers were types that could have been detected early through proper screening.
• Women with lower incomes or who are uninsured are least likely to get appropriate follow-up care.

The doctors may be able to help the person with breast cancer work with the insurance company to get more cancer treatment.  However, if this is not an option, it is very important to remember that there are organizations and funds out there to help women pay for breast cancer treatment if they can't afford it.  No one should go without treatment for financial reasons! 

If you can answer "yes" to the questions below, you may qualify for assistance from The Bridge Breast Network in Dallas, Texas.

Do you live in North Texas?

• Are you without health insurance coverage?
• Have you found a breast lump yourself?
• Or has a mammogram determined a lump?

Art for the Bridge raises money for The Bridge Breast Network, a non-profit, which links uninsured and underserved individuals to life-saving breast cancer diagnosis and treatment.  In 2007, Art for the Bridge's Art Auction raised and donated $100,000 to The Bridge Breast Network.  A $100,000 donation to the Bridge will provide $1,000,000 of breast cancer services and treatments by combining financial contributions with an effective network of medial services and facility donations.