One of the most amazing things about living in the New York City area is the wealth of top-notch healthcare, including preventative cancer services like mammogram imaging. Whether you’re getting your first mammogram, your annual or biannual mammogram based on your doctor’s screening recommendations, or you’re looking for a diagnostic imaging center to test a suspicious lump, SHAREing & CAREing has you covered. Here are some of our top mammogram center recommendations in the Queens area.

Radiology & Imaging Centers

Some of these include women’s imaging centers, which specialize in women’s imaging needs like breast ultrasounds and breast MRIs.

• Advanced Radiological Imaging
  2334 30th Ave., Astoria, NY 11102
  (718) 204-7774
• Main Street Radiology
  83-14 Cooper Ave, Glendale, NY 11385
  (718) 428-1500
• Main Street Radiology
  8002 Kew Gardens Rd, Ste L1, Kew Gardens, NY 11415
  (718) 544-5151
• Lenox Hill Radiology – Astoria
  29-16 Astoria Blvd S, Astoria, NY 11102
  (718) 204-5800
• Lenox Hill Radiology – Bayside
  213-02 Northern Blvd, Bayside, NY 11361
  (718) 544-5151
• Long Island Radiology Assocs
  37-08 28th Ave, Queens, NY 11103
  (718) 545-1400
• Middle Village Radiology
  6243 Woodhaven Blvd, Rego Park, NY 11374
  (718) 507-4700
• Mount Sinai Queens Hospital Imaging Center
  25-20 30th Ave. 2nd Floor, A2-201, Long Island City, NY 11102
  (718) 808-7500
• NYU Langone Radiology — Premier Imaging
  Agora Plaza, 23-18 31st St, Queens, NY 11105
  (718) 832-1445
• NYU Langone Radiology—NRAD, Hillcrest
  80-15 164th Street, Jamaica Estates, NY, 11432
  718-380-6010
• NYU Langone Radiology—Queens Medical Imaging
  69-15 Austin Street, Forest Hills, NY, 11375
  718-544-5100
• Perlmutter Cancer Center—Rego Park
  97-77 Queens Boulevard, Rego Park, NY, 11374
  718-261-8686
• Steinway Diagnostic Imaging
  21-84 Steinway St, Long Island City, NY 11105
  (718) 726-9600
• Zwanger-Pesiri Radiology
  88-12 Queens Blvd, Elmhurst, NY 11373
  (718) 732-0222
• Zwanger-Pesiri Radiology
  102-34 Atlantic Ave, Ozone Park, NY 11416
  (718) 732-0222

Free & Mobile Mammograms

Mobile mammogram buses often operate in low-income areas to fight access-to-care and affordability issues. The mobile imaging vans below offer zero-cost mammography options.

• Mount Sinai Mobile Mammography Van
  Visits all five boroughs
  844-EZMAMMO (396-2666)
• Project Renewal Scan Van
  240+ locations throughout the five boroughs
  (646) 415-7932
• The American-Italian Cancer Foundation’s Mammogram Bus
  Visits all five boroughs
  1-877-628-9090

Free Mammograms

In addition to mobile locations, some of the standard imaging centers above are part of the New York State Cancer Services Program (CSP). You can qualify for this program if you…

• Live in the state of New York
• Don’t currently have health insurance
• Have such a high insurance copay that you are prevented from getting services
• Meet certain income requirements
• Are 40-50+ years old (for those of average breast cancer risk) or under 40 (for those at high risk for breast cancer)

To be connected with the local CSP program near you, call 1-866-442-CANCER (2262). Your primary care doctor or your OB/GYN doctor may also be able to point you in the direction of low-cost local imaging centers.

At SHAREing & CAREing, we have additional resources to connect you with free and low-cost mammography services. Our services are free to the public and our non-profit was founded and is run by cancer survivors. We understand where you’re at because we were once there ourselves! Contact us today for individual support, group therapy, patient navigation services, financial aid, screening reminders and more.

Having trouble remembering all your important cancer screenings? Not sure which ones you need to do? Sign up for our free cancer screening reminders!

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Overall cancer death rates continued to decline among men, women, children, and adolescents and young adults in every major racial and ethnic group in the United States from 2015 to 2019, according to the latest Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer. From 2014 to 2018, overall cancer incidence, or new cases of cancer, remained stable for men and children but increased for women and adolescents and young adults. This year’s report, published October 27, 2022, in Cancer, also highlights longer-term trends in pancreatic cancer, as well as racial and ethnic disparities in incidence and death rates for many individual cancer sites.

All of the findings in this report are based on data from before the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Today’s report is good news in our fight against cancer and is a reminder of the importance of President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot℠ initiative,” said Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra. “I’m deeply impressed by the progress we’re making against cancer and firmly believe we can meet the President’s goal of reducing the death rate from cancer by at least 50% over the next 25 years. We can and must end cancer as we know it.”

The Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer is a collaborative effort among the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); the American Cancer Society (ACS); and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR). 

The report is based on a combined cancer incidence data set from NAACCR composed of data collected by CDC’s National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR) and NCI’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program, as well as mortality data from CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics.

The report shows that from 2015 to 2019, overall cancer death rates decreased by 2.1% per year in men and women combined. Among men, death rates decreased by 2.3% per year; among women, death rates decreased by 1.9% per year. The annual declines in death rate accelerated from 2001 to 2019 in both men and women.

The declines in death rates were steepest in lung cancer and melanoma (by 4% to 5% per year) among both men and women. Death rates increased for cancers of the pancreas, brain, and bones and joints among men, and for cancers of the pancreas and uterus among women.

How A Patient Navigator Can Improve Cancer Treatment & Empower Patients

“The findings in this year’s Annual Report to the Nation show our ongoing progress against cancer, continuing a more than two-decade trend in declining mortality that reflects improvements in preventing, detecting, and treating cancer,” said Monica M. Bertagnolli, M.D., director of NCI. “The advances shown in the report underscore the importance of working together across society to develop effective, equitable approaches to tackle this complex disease. I look forward to working with all our partners in the cancer community to meet these challenges head-on, because people affected by cancer—and that includes all of us—are counting on it.”

The report showed that cancer incidence rates were relatively stable in men and women combined from 2014 to 2018. Among men, incidence rates remained stable during this period, but among women incidence rates rose by 0.2% per year.

Over the same time period, incidence rates increased for three of the 18 most common cancers among men: pancreas, kidney, and testis. Incidence rates in men remained stable for seven of the most common cancers and decreased for the remaining eight cancers. For women, incidence rates increased for seven of the 18 most common cancers: liver, melanoma, kidney, myeloma, pancreas, breast, and oral cavity and pharynx. Incidence rates among women remained stable for four of the most common cancers and decreased for the other seven cancers.

In men, the greatest incidence rate increase was seen in pancreatic cancer, which increased by 1.1% per year, and the steepest incidence rate decrease was seen in lung cancer, which fell by 2.6% per year. In women, melanoma had the steepest increase in incidence, rising by 1.8% per year, and thyroid cancer had the sharpest decrease, falling by 2.9% per year.

“Through funding scientific breakthroughs and raising awareness about prevention and early detection, we are making progress against a subset of the more than 200 diseases we call cancer,” said Karen E. Knudsen, M.B.A, Ph.D., chief executive officer, American Cancer Society. “However, for certain cancer types, concerning trends persist, and durable cures remain elusive for many people. We are committed to improving the lives of all cancer patients and their families, through accelerating research, increasing access to care through advocacy, and by providing direct patient support in communities across the nation, toward the shared goal of eliminating cancer as we know it.”

Differences in Insurance Coverage Associated with Nearly Half of Black-White Survival Disparity in Colorectal Cancer

Among other key findings of this year’s report:  

• Overall cancer incidence rates during 2014 to 2018 were highest among non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) people, followed closely by non-Hispanic White people and non-Hispanic Black people. Overall cancer incidence rates were lowest among non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander (API) and Hispanic people.
• Incidence rates for all sites combined decreased among non-Hispanic Black, non-Hispanic API, and Hispanic men, but increased among non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic API, non-Hispanic AI/AN, and Hispanic women from 2014 to 2018. Incidence rates were stable among non-Hispanic White and non-Hispanic AI/AN men and non-Hispanic Black women.
• Among children younger than 15, overall cancer death rates decreased from 2015 to 2019, and incidence rates remained stable from 2014 to 2018. Overall cancer incidence rates were stable for non-Hispanic Black children over this period but increased for non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic API, non-Hispanic AI/AN, and Hispanic children.
• Among adolescents and young adults ages 15 to 39, overall cancer incidence rates increased by 0.9% per year from 2014 to 2018. The overall cancer death rate decreased by 3.0% per year from 2001 to 2005, but the decline slowed to 0.9% per year from 2005 to 2019.
• The incidence of breast cancer, the most common cancer among adolescents and young adults, increased by an average of 1.0% per year from 2010 to 2018.

The researchers noted that racial and ethnic disparities exist for many individual cancer sites. For example, from 2014 to 2018, incidence rates for bladder cancer declined in non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, non-Hispanic API, and Hispanic men but increased among non-Hispanic AI/AN men. Incidence rates for uterine cancer increased among women of every racial and ethnic group from 2014 to 2018 except for non-Hispanic White women, who had stable rates.  

From 2015 to 2019, prostate cancer death rates were stable among non-Hispanic White and non-Hispanic Black men but decreased among non-Hispanic API, non-Hispanic AI/AN, and Hispanic men. Colorectal cancer death rates were stable among non-Hispanic AI/AN men but decreased in men of all other racial and ethnic groups. Among women, death rates for lung, breast, and colorectal cancer decreased in nearly every racial and ethnic group. The exceptions were non-Hispanic API women, among whom breast cancer death rates remained stable, and non-Hispanic AI/AN women, among whom breast cancer death rates increased and colorectal cancer death rates remained stable.

“Factors such as race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status should not play a role in people’s ability to be healthy or determine how long they live,” said Lisa C. Richardson, M.D., M.P.H., director of CDC’s Division of Cancer Prevention and Control. “CDC works with its public health partners—within and outside the government—to address these disparities and advance health equity through a range of key initiatives, including programs, research, and policy initiatives. We know that we can meet this challenge together and create an America where people are free of cancer.”

High Burden of Liver, Stomach and Cervical Cancers among the Hispanic/Latino Population Highlights Access to Care Challenges

This year’s report includes a special focus on trends in pancreatic cancer incidence, death, and survival rates. Although pancreatic cancer accounts for only 3% of new cancer diagnoses, it accounts for 8% of cancer deaths and is the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States for both men and women.

From 2001 to 2018, incidence rates of pancreatic cancer increased by 1% per year among both men and women, and from 2001 to 2019, death rates increased by 0.2% per year for both sexes. From 2001 to 2018, incidence rates of two common subtypes of pancreatic cancer, neuroendocrine tumors and adenocarcinomas, increased in both men and women, while unspecified subtypes and other pancreatic tumors decreased.

The report also describes survival improvements by subtype. For example, one-year relative survival of people diagnosed with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors increased from 65.9% to 84.2% between 2001 and 2017, and for people diagnosed with pancreatic adenocarcinomas it increased from 24.0% to 36.7%. Five-year relative survival also increased between 2001 and 2013, from 43.4% to 65.2% for people with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, and from 4.4% to 6.6% for people with pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

These improvements in survival may be associated with improvements in therapy, the researchers said. No improvement was seen for unspecified and other pancreatic tumors, which tended to have a higher proportion diagnosed at older ages than the other types.

The researchers noted that the increases in survival for both adenocarcinomas and neuroendocrine tumors are tempered by the overall increase in the incidence of pancreatic cancer, which is generally attributed to the growing prevalence of obesity. And progress in treating pancreatic adenocarcinomas, which account for 80% of pancreatic cancer cases, remains incremental at best, the researchers said.

“Pancreatic cancer incidence and survival reflect both the underlying risk of disease as well as the difficulty of diagnosing pancreatic cancer at a treatable stage,” said Betsy A. Kohler, M.P.H., NAACCR executive director. “As advancements in screening technology and effective treatments for early-stage disease become available, we are hopeful for greater improvements in pancreatic cancer survival, which historically has been a particularly lethal cancer type.”

For more about the report, see: https://seer.cancer.gov/report_to_nation/.

Originally published October 27, 2022 by the American Cancer Society

If you are having problems paying your cancer care bills, either because of under-insurance, lack of insurance, or high out-of-pocket costs please contact us. We can help!

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A new, large study led by researchers at the American Cancer Society (ACS) and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center shows rising costs of cancer treatments led to increases in total costs of care, and when compounded with greater cost sharing, increased out-of-pocket (OOP) costs for privately insured, patients under 65 years old.

The research is one of the first to comprehensively examine trends in the costs of cancer care for privately insured non-elderly adults for the four most common cancers. Researchers discovered OOP costs went up more than 15 percent for all cancers to more than $6000 for breast cancer, colorectal cancer, and lung cancer patients and $4500 for patients with prostate cancer in 2016. The results were published today in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (JNCI).

“Our study provides new evidence of the growing financial burden for nonelderly patients with cancer with private health insurance coverage,” said Dr. Robin Yabroff, scientific vice president, health services research at the American Cancer Society and senior author of the study. “Policy initiatives to mitigate financial hardship should consider cost containment as well as insurance reform, as most Americans will not be able to afford such an unexpected expense.”

Free and Low‑Cost Mammography

For the study, the authors estimated trends in total and OOP costs around the first year of diagnosis for privately insured nonelderly adult cancer patients. Researchers constructed cohorts of 105,255 breast, 23,571 colorectal, 11,321 lung, and 59,197 prostate cancer patients diagnosed between 2009 and 2016 using claims data from the Health Care Cost Institute. They identified cancer-related surgery, intravenous (IV) systemic therapy, and radiation and calculated associated total and OOP costs (in 2020 US dollars).

The study results also showed for patients diagnosed between 2009 and 2016, total mean costs per patient increased from $109,544 to $140,732 for breast (29%), $151,751 to $168,730 for lung (11%) or $53,300 to $55,497 for prostate (4%) cancer were statistically significant. Increase for colorectal cancer (1%, $136,652 to $137,663) was not statistically significant. The use of intravenous (IV) systemic therapy and radiation statistically significantly increased, except for lung cancer. Cancer surgeries statistically significantly increased for breast and colorectal cancer but decreased for prostate cancer. Total costs increased statistically significantly for nearly all treatment modalities, except for IV systemic therapy in colorectal and radiation in prostate cancer.

“This trend of rising OOP costs among patients with private insurance is concerning because high-deductible plans are becoming more common in the private insurance market,” said Ya Chen Tina Shih, Ph.D., professor of Health Services Research at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and lead author of the study. “The recently-passed Inflation Reduction Act is a step toward addressing this challenge, focusing on reductions in pricing for high-cost Medicare drugs and limiting out-of-pocket costs for seniors.”  

“Unfortunately, as these data show, cancer patients are increasingly facing a dual diagnosis of cancer and cancer-related financial toxicity,” said Lisa Lacasse, president of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), ACS’s advocacy affiliate. “High-deductible health plans along with the proliferation of inadequate short-term plans often leave patients responsible for thousands of dollars out of pocket. These costs can then compound as many patients have to reduce their work hours or some even lose their jobs due to treatment-related side effects. We need Congress to work together to find solutions that help all cancer patients afford their care.”

Press release originally published September 13, 2022 by the American Cancer Society

If you are having problems paying your cancer care bills, either because of under-insurance, lack of insurance, or high out-of-pocket costs please contact us. We can help!

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New findings led by researchers at the American Cancer Society (ACS) show even after the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), adults in the United States with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) had consistently worse access to medical care, including cancer prevention services, than adults without LEP. The study was published today in the Journal of General Internal Medicine (JGIM).

“These findings are disappointing as there are more than 25 million individuals with LEP living in the U.S., and this number is increasing,” said Dr. Leticia Nogueira, senior principal scientist, health services research at the American Cancer Society and senior author of the study. “System-level interventions are critical, such as expanding access to health insurance coverage, providing language services, improving provider training in cultural competence, and increasing diversity in the medical workforce to help minimize barriers and be able to improve equity in access to care for this vulnerable population.”

According to the authors, under federal law and the civil rights provision of the (ACA), healthcare providers receiving federal funds are required to provide equal access to care for individuals with LEP. Additionally, improving access to healthcare for adults with LEP is a public health priority included in the Healthy People 2030 developing goals.

High Burden of Liver, Stomach and Cervical Cancers among the Hispanic/Latino Population Highlights Access to Care Challenges

For the study, researchers identified close to 19 thousand adults with LEP, and more than 98 thousand adults without LEP in the U.S., aged 18 years or older from the 2014–2018 national Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. Associations between LEP and access to healthcare and preventive services were evaluated with multivariable logistic regression models, stratified by age groups 18–64 years old and 65 years old and older to account for Medicare age-eligibility threshold. The study used the official government definition of LEP, which includes adults who answer, “not at all/not well/well” to the question, “How well do you speak English?” Access to care included having a usual source of care (and if so, distance from the usual source of care, difficulty contacting the usual source of care, and provision of extended hours), visiting a medical provider in the past 12 months, having to forego or delay care, and having trouble paying for medical bills. Preventive services included blood pressure and cholesterol check, flu vaccination, and cancer screening.

The study results showed adults aged 18–64 years with LEP were significantly more likely to lack a usual source of care, not have visited a medical provider, and be overdue for receipt of preventive services, including blood pressure checks, cholesterol checks, and colorectal cancer screening than adults without LEP. Results were similar among adults 65 years old and older.

“It is unacceptable that adults with LEP are less likely to have health insurance coverage, have a usual source of care, or receive preventive services compared to English proficient adults,” said Dr. William Dahut, chief scientific officer at the American Cancer Society. “Efforts to reduce barriers to care, disproportionately experienced by adults with LEP, are crucial for addressing this disparity.”

“When it comes to cancer, barriers to accessing health care can become a matter of life or death,” said Lisa Lacasse, president of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN).  “ACS CAN urges the Biden Administration to put forth regulations that provide greater patient protections under the Affordable Care Act, including strengthening and improving current provisions requiring individuals with LEP be notified of their rights and the availability of language assistance. We’re calling on Congress to address affordability issues by closing the Medicaid coverage gap, making increased subsidies for Marketplace plans permanent, and capping Medicare Part D drug costs in their reconciliation budget deal.”

Press release originally published Jul 26, 2022 by the American Cancer Society

If you are in Queens or New York City and need help accessing mammogram services because of cost, insurance status, language ability, or access to transportation, please contact us. We can help!

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Lack of healthcare coverage among the Hispanic population limits progress against these potentially preventable cancers.

A new report shows that although Hispanic men and women in the continental United States and Hawaii have 25% to 30% lower overall cancer incidence and mortality than non-Hispanic Whites, they continue to have a higher risk of potentially preventable, infection-related cancers, including approximately two-fold higher rates of liver cancer and stomach cancer. Incidence of cervical cancer, which is almost completely preventable through screening and vaccination, is 32% higher in Hispanic women in the continental U.S. and Hawaii and 78% higher in Puerto Rico compared to non-Hispanic White women.

Study Reveals Why Cervical Cancer Screening Rates Are Declining, Which Populations Are Most Affected

The report, appearing in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, is the most comprehensive review of contemporary cancer statistics for the U.S. Hispanic population, including Puerto Rico, and is published every three years. The study, led by Kimberly Miller, MPH, a scientist at the American Cancer Society, notes that much of the high burden of these cancers in this population could be reduced by increasing access to high-quality prevention, early detection, and treatment services. The Hispanic/Latino population has the highest percentage of people without health insurance of any major racial/ethnic group in the U.S. — nearly triple that of non-Hispanic Whites (26% versus 9%, respectively, among ages 18-64 years during 2017-2018). In Puerto Rico, home to about 3 million Hispanic Americans, nearly one-half of individuals receive health insurance through Medicaid, which is substantially underfunded in the territory.

Healthcare access challenges are also likely responsible, in part, for the narrowing gap in colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence between Hispanic people and non-Hispanic White people. CRC incidence rates in Hispanic people were 25% lower than those in non-Hispanic Whites in 1995 but only 9% lower in 2018. This likely reflects less CRC screening among Hispanic individuals, which can prevent CRC through the detection and removal of precancerous lesions. Fewer than half (49%) of Hispanic people ages 45 and older were up to date with CRC screening in 2018 compared to 58% of non-Hispanic Whites, with a lower percentage even among those who were uninsured (19% versus 25%).

Differences in Insurance Coverage Associated with Nearly Half of Black-White Survival Disparity in Colorectal Cancer

The Hispanic/Latino population is the second-largest racial/ethnic group in the U.S., accounting for 19% (62.1 million) of the total population in 2020. The cancer burden in Hispanic people is expected to increase in part because population growth is now driven by births rather than immigration, and cancer rates among U.S.-born Hispanic people approach or surpass those of non-Hispanic Whites as a result of acculturation. However, cancer data are often only available for the Hispanic population in aggregate, masking these important differences by nativity, as well as those by Hispanic origin.

Cancer continues to be the leading cause of death among Hispanic people, followed by heart disease, reflecting the younger age of the population and the lower proportion of deaths due to heart disease among Hispanic women. An estimated 46,500 cancer deaths will occur among Hispanic individuals in the continental U.S. and Hawaii in 2021, for whom the most common causes of cancer death are lung cancer (13%), CRC (11%) and liver cancer (11%) among men, and breast cancer (14%), lung cancer (10%), and CRC (9%) among women. Breast cancer is also the leading cause of cancer death in women in Puerto Rico, whereas prostate cancer leads in men, reflecting the low smoking prevalence in the territory.

Family History & Breast Cancer: What You Need To Know

Variations in cancer risk between Hispanic people and non-Hispanic White people, as well as within the Hispanic community, are primarily driven by differences in exposure to cancer-causing infectious agents and behavioral risk factors. For example, the prevalence of cigarette smoking in 2019 was 16% among non-Hispanic Whites compared to 9% among Hispanic people residing in the continental U.S. However, within the Hispanic population, smoking prevalence ranged from 6% among Central/South American people to 17% among Puerto Rican people who reside stateside. Counterbalancing generally low smoking rates, Hispanic people have among the highest prevalence of excess body weight, the second-most important modifiable cancer risk factor, especially among those who are U.S.-born.

“Addressing this critical gap for Hispanic individuals in obtaining access to high quality cancer prevention, early detection and treatment is going to be essential for mitigating the predicted growth in the cancer burden,” said Miller. “In addition, more research is needed to assess not only the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the utilization of cancer care, but also the impact on cancer incidence and mortality trends as COVID-19 has disproportionately affected minority populations in the U.S.”

Originally published September 21, 2021 by the American Cancer Society.

If you are a woman living in Queens County and coping with a cancer diagnosis, SHAREing & CAREing may be able to help you with your bills.

Through a small private grant, SHAREing & CAREing may be able to offset the cost of out-of-pocket pharmaceutical, diagnostic, physician co-payments and/or deductibles as well as other emergent needs.

A cancer diagnosis should not lead to impoverishment. Insured, underinsured and uninsured women in need of help are urged to apply to SHAREing & CAREing for assistance. For more information, please contact SHAREing & CAREing at 718-777-5766 or fill out the form below. Feel free to spread the word to anyone you know who may be in need of assistance.

Findings reinforce importance of equitable insurance coverage

Health insurance coverage differences account for nearly one-half of the black-white survival disparity in colorectal cancer patients, according to a new study. The study, published in Gastroenterology, reinforces the importance of equitable health insurance coverage to mitigate the black-white survival disparity in colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in both men and women in the United States. Overall CRC incidence and mortality rates are decreasing in the United States as a result of earlier detection and improved treatments. Nonetheless, CRC incidence and mortality rates continue to be higher in blacks than in whites.

High Burden of Liver, Stomach and Cervical Cancers among the Hispanic/Latino Population Highlights Access to Care Challenges

For the new study, investigators led by Helmneh Sineshaw, M.D., MPH, at the American Cancer Society with collaborators from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute at Harvard Medical School, focused on the impact of access to care on black-white survival disparity. They looked at 199,098 CRC patients ages 18 to 64 in the National Cancer Database.

These findings reinforce the importance of equitable health insurance coverage to mitigate the survival disparity between black versus white CRC patients in this age range, and underscore the need for further studies to elucidate reasons for racial differences in tumor characteristics.

They found the absolute 5-year survival difference between black and white CRC patients in the entire cohort was 9.2% (57.3% vs 66.5%). That difference was cut almost in half, to 4.9%, after matching for insurance status. Tumor characteristics also played a large role. The survival difference dropped to 2.3% after tumor characteristics matching.

“These findings reinforce the importance of equitable health insurance coverage to mitigate the survival disparity between black versus white CRC patients in this age range, and underscore the need for further studies to elucidate reasons for racial differences in tumor characteristics,” write the authors.

Colorectal cancer is not the only cancer impacted by insurance status. In October, an American Cancer Society study found that differences in insurance explained one-third of the black-white difference in women with early-stage breast cancer.

Article: Sineshaw HM, Ng K, Flanders WD, Brawley OW, Jemal A, Factors That Contribute to Differences in Survival of Black vs White Patients With Colorectal Cancer, Gastroenterology (2017), doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2017.11.005.

In our work with cancer patients and their caregivers in the underserved and minority populations throughout Queens, we have learned that health and health care are not the same for everyone.

Unfortunately, through all stages of breast cancer—prevention, diagnosis, and treatment—women of color have serious disadvantages when compared to white women and the trend shows no sign of reversing, according to a recent report from the American Cancer Society.

Breast Cancer Diagnosis Rates

The 2015 report, which compares the most recently available data, details the racial disparities between breast cancer incidence and mortality rates. It shows for the first time that black women have a nearly equal breast cancer incidence rate as white non-Hispanic women, who have long held the dubious honor of highest diagnosis rate.

African-American women in the U.S. have an incidence rate of 124.3 out of 100,000 and non-Hispanic white women have an incidence rate of 128.1. In contrast, Hispanic and Asian/Pacific-Islander women have incidence rates of 91.9 and 88.3 respectively. Worse yet, while incidence rates among whites have remained stable since 2004, the incidence rates for black women have increased.

According to an article in the New York Times initially, higher diagnosis rates among women of color were thought to be a result of an increase in breast cancer screenings, but further analysis shows that screening rates among women as a whole have remained stable and other factors are likely at play. One such factor is the rising obesity rate in the African-American community (a 39% increase from the previous 10 year period). Black women are also delaying childbirth until later in life and having fewer children, which are also contributing factors to the new higher diagnosis rates.

Mortality Rates

The rising incidence rates come as a blow to African-American women, who already face significantly higher breast cancer mortality rates than other races and ethnicities. According to the American Cancer Society, black women in the U.S. have a mortality rate of 31 in 100,000, followed by white women at 21.9 in 100,000. And women of color are more than twice as likely to die from breast cancer than both Hispanic and Asian/Pacific Islander women.

Higher mortality rates for black women have a number of causes. For one, African-American women are nearly two times as likely than white women to be diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer. This type of breast cancer is harder to treat and has a higher mortality rate. 22% of all breast cancer cases among black women are triple negative breast cancer, while triple negative breast cancer only accounts for 11% of cases among white women.

According to the American Cancer Society report, women of color are also more likely to have their breast cancer diagnosed at later less-treatable stages than other races, further adding to increased mortality rates. In addition, there is a large gap between the 5-year survival rate for white and black women—81% for blacks and 92% for whites.

What Can We Do?

These sobering statistics enforce more than ever the importance of outreach in our communities. While there are certainly breast cancer risk factors that cannot be helped—like family history or genetics—there are so many things that can be done to improve our odds of preventing breast cancer, detecting it early, and treating it successfully. Our mission at SHAREing & CAREing is to make this a reality.

In the prevention category, we believe in reaching out to young people, either at home or in community- and school-based venues, like our Be A Friend To Your Mother school program. There are many healthy habits—like exercise, good nutrition, and breast self-exams—that, when begun as a young adults, make a substantial difference in our risk of getting breast cancer later in life.

In the realm of diagnosis, SHAREing & CAREing’s goal is to get all women diagnosed as early as possible. Our B.E.A.T. program helps educate women about breast cancer screenings and makes mammograms accessible to women without health insurance or full coverage. Getting diagnosed at earlier stages means an improved outcome for women and their families.

Once diagnosed, breast cancer treatments should be explained in understandable terms by doctors, be timely, and affordable, no matter your financial or ethnic background. By linking cancer patients to affordable cancer treatments and affordable post-treatment supplies, and helping them navigate the medical and insurance systems, SHAREing & CAREing hopes to increase the quality of care for those in our community who have been historically left behind.

If you need personal help with your diagnosis or getting proper screenings, please contact us. Our founders and the amazing members of our survivorship support group have been in your shoes; we can help.

If you know of a community group, venue, or school who would like to host our Be A Friend To Your Mother workshops, please let us know. We would love to reach out and educate even more people in the Queens community about their prevention and early detection options. Together, we can help those in our underserved communities get the education, treatment, and preventative services that every one of us deserves.

If you are in Queens or New York City and need help accessing mammogram services because of cost, insurance status, language ability, or access to transportation, please contact us. We can help!

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A week ago, SHAREing & CAREing received this message from a frustrated patient:

I have been diagnosed with breast cancer. The first surgeon suggested was stopping practice, the next is out of network. I got an oncologist in the network, but I was told to get a referral from a surgeon first. My appointment for the primary care doctor was cancelled. I rescheduled one for 2 days later. I just don’t know how I am supposed to be getting things done.

Unfortunately, this kind of situation is common, especially with patients who are uninsured or under-insured. But it can even happen when insurance is perfectly adequate.

Why Do I Need Patient Navigation?

With so many tests, doctors, forms and treatments involved with a cancer diagnosis, it’s no wonder that simply navigating the insurance and medical system can be a source of anxiety. Many patients we’ve talked to have said that this is one of the most frustrating parts of treatment. An advocate who knows the system can help with a variety of tasks to take the pressure off you and your family during this stressful time. Patient navigators may:

• Provide individual emotional and psychological support to patients and caregivers
• Help fill out confusing insurance paperwork
• Help understand and work within insurance coverage limits and reduce out-of-pocket expenses
• Help with the appeal process of health insurance coverage denials
• Explain your cancer diagnosis and treatment options in understandable terms
• Provide information on local cancer support groups (like the SHAREing & CAREing survivorship support group)
• Go to appointments with you to be an advocate and provide emotional support
• Help arrange transportation to cancer treatment and appointments
• Know of ways to access low-cost and free cancer treatments, like studies, free community programs, and drug company programs
• Help arrange child-care help
• Recommend good local doctors
• Give tips on managing treatment side-effects
• Know of ways to access low-cost and free cancer prostheses and wigs and other post-treatment supplies
• Help with translating documents and communicating with doctors if English is your second language or if you have problems reading or seeing
• Help getting treatment even if you are uninsured or under-insured
• Help schedule your appointments efficiently to fast-track your diagnosis and treatment
• Remind you about screenings and check-ups after your treatment is done

Most importantly, patient navigators help you know YOU ARE NOT ALONE. Most cancer patient navigators have personal experience, either as medical professionals or caregivers, or as cancer survivors, like the staff and volunteers at SHAREing & CAREing.

Finding A Patient Navigator For Your Cancer Treatment

If you are a patient at a cancer center like Queens Cancer Center or NewYork-Presbyterian/Queens, you’re in luck. As of 2015, to be accredited by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer, cancer centers must have patient navigation programs. If your doctor hasn’t already directed you to their in-house patient navigator programs, ask if they have one. Cancer center navigation programs are usually free and are incredibly helpful in coordinating care and appointments between doctors within the center. Some even have workshops that educate newly diagnosed patients about their specific form of cancer.

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In the past, friends and family have often filled the role of patient navigator. Keep in mind, though, that being a patient navigator is a lot of work and can be taxing on someone that might already be you primary caregiver. Consider whether you would want to burden this person with the additional work, or whether you might have another friend or family member (or several!) that could step into the role. Many people, when hearing about your cancer diagnosis, want to help but have no idea what to do. Ask for specific help like, “Can you take me to radiation treatment every Thursday?” You might be pleasantly surprised by the generosity of those around you.

You can also hire a patient navigator that operates on a private consultant basis. Before hiring, ask what experience they have with your condition, your insurance company, and the hospitals and doctors you plan to visit. Many professional patient navigators have medical backgrounds and degrees. Ask about their qualifications and whether or not they are a member of National Association of Health Care Advocacy Consultants.

Free Cancer Patient Navigation From SHAREing & CAREing

At SHAREing & CAREing, we provide free patient navigation services to those in need. Our organization was founded in 1994 as a grassroots, community-based not-for-profit by four breast cancer survivors who knew that the lack of solid breast cancer services in Queens County that they were experiencing affected many other women, particularly those living in Astoria/Long Island City and the surrounding communities. Since then our mission has evolved to provide cancer outreach, education, support and advocacy services to all women and men, particularly those who are under-or uninsured members of minority groups who have the least resources of all.

Each of us, as well as our dedicated group of survivor volunteers, has been through the dreaded diagnosis and treatment of cancer and experienced the loneliness, fear and stigma that go with it. We experienced the treatments, the side-effects, and the complex insurance and medical systems.

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We believe that no one should feel alone or hopeless during a time of illness. We believe that everyone, no matter their insurance status or financial ability, deserves quality care. We know that healthcare is not equal and that part of the battle is navigating a complex system. We believe that being informed and having a strong support system empowers us and gives us hope. SHAREing & CAREing is that support system.

If you have questions about your cancer diagnosis, need help with insurance or other patient navigation services, or just need someone to talk to, contact us. You are not alone. We’ve been there and we can help.

In June 2016, the New York legislature passed Senate Bill S8093, that will make breast cancer screening more accessible to women statewide. After receiving unanimous, bipartisan approval in the State Senate, Governor Cuomo signed the bill on June 27.

SHAREing & CAREing applauds this legislation, which directly supports our mission of providing cancer outreach and support to all women and men, especially those with fewer resources to receive proper screening and breast cancer treatment.

The bill not only improves insurance coverage for early detection of breast cancer, but institutes practical changes that will make it easier for working women to actually undergo screenings, including extending hours for mammography and giving all public employees work leave for screening.

Financially, the bill eliminates cost-sharing requirements for screening—meaning mammograms, breast MRIs, and breast ultrasounds won’t require co-pays or annual deductibles be met before coverage.

This is especially important considering recent studies find that, for women with dense breasts, both ‘Fast’ MRIs and combination mammogram-MRI screening schedules are both beneficial.

Practically, hospitals and clinics that provide mammograms are required to offer extended hours for at least four hours per week, including early mornings, evenings, or weekend. This is of critical importance for women who work full-time or cannot afford to miss work for an appointment. Additionally, the legislation extends excused leave to all New York City public employees—the same opportunity already granted to public employees statewide—for breast cancer screening.

Each year, approximately 15,000 women and 150 men in New York State are diagnosed with breast cancer. The earlier breast cancer is detected, the more effectively it can be treated. By allowing New Yorkers easier access to breast cancer screening, this legislation will improve treatment and save lives.

If you are in Queens or New York City and need help accessing mammogram services because of cost, insurance status, language ability, or access to transportation, please contact us. We can help!

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