Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed among women in Texas. Cervical cancer ranks seventh of the leading cancers diagnosed among Texas women. Surviving breast and cervical cancer depends on how early the cancer is detected. The best method to detect breast or cervical cancer in its early stages is through regular screening.
Program Description
The Breast and Cervical Cancer Services program (BCCS) offers clinical breast examinations, mammograms, pelvic examinations, and Pap tests throughout Texas at no or low-cost to eligible women. BCCS is partly funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP). Congress established the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program in 1991 by enacting the Breast and Cervical Cancer Mortality Prevention Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-354). NBCCEDP was reauthorized in April 2007.
Program Goals
The goal of Texas' Breast and Cervical Cancer Services (BCCS ) is to reduce mortality from breast cancer and cervical cancer in Texas. Since 1991, the BCCS program has screened 288,434 unduplicated women for breast or cervical cancer. Approximately 194,116 women received breast cancer screenings and 195,849 women received cervical cancer screenings.
Of the 35,911 women seen during the 2010-2011 program year, 14,601 breast screenings were provided through the BCCS program contractors, with a total of 325 breast cancers detected. A total of 16,295 cervical screenings were provided through BCCS program contractors, with a total of 5,488 precancerous conditions and 53 invasive cervical cancers detected.
Announcements
01-24-2012
Department of State Health Services (DSHS), Breast and Cervical Cancer Services (BCCS) program received two grant awards from the Breast Cancer Prevention Fund (BCPF). This year BCCS was awarded $80,000 to screen women ages 40-49 as well as another $333,841 to allow diagnostic mammograms to women ages 40–64. For several years, DSHS has utilized BCPF funding to provide breast cancer screening services. Since July 2009, BCCS has served over 3,000 additional Texas women with these funds. BCPF is a non-profit organization founded in 2004 with the mission, “to save women's lives through outreach programs that promote prevention and early detection of breast cancer through awareness and education, provide referral services to help women schedule breast cancer screenings, and pay for mammograms for uninsured women”.
To learn more about the BCPF please visit their website at: www.breastcancerpreventionfund.org.
Contact Information
Texas Department of State Health Services
Preventive and Primary Care Unit, MC 1923
1100 W. 49th Street
PO Box 149347
Austin, TX 78714-9347
Phone: (512) 458-7796
Fax: (512)-458-7203
Email Breast and Cervical Cancer Services for additional information.
Visit the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program.