UICC World Cancer Congress 2006

The Kentucky Cancer Program worked with community partners to increase breast cancer screening rates at local county health departments using Ladies Health Days dedicated to screening. The availability of the Kentucky Women's Cancer Screening Program is under-publicized to the general population, and under-utilized by many women that would qualify for the program. As of FY 2005, women classified as never or rarely screened represented only 18% of all the participants in the program, the goal being 20% or above.

Methods:

KCP identified 5 counties in eastern Kentucky in need of assistance with promoting their women's cancer screening program, and offered $300 per county to assist with a screening day. These ‘Ladies Days' were designed to target and bring in new patients who had never been screened (or had been 5 or more years since they'd been screened).

KCP staff worked with each county to promote and plan their event. On the day of the event, clinical breast exams, cervical cancer screenings, and mammogram referrals were given to all women with appointments. Each woman also received a promotional gift with a cancer screening reminder message on it, to remind her to come back again next year.

Results:

In total between the 5 screening event days, 71 women were seen. Of those women 33 were never or rarely screened, representing 46%. Two of the health departments that worked with KCP continued to hold these events 2-4 times a year to promote their program, finding funds internally to pay for the events..