BREAST CANCER TESTING OFFERED GRANT TO FUND MORE SCREENING.Byline: JUDY O'ROURKE Staff Writer SANTA CLARITA Santa Clarita, city (1990 pop. 110,642), Los Angeles co., S Calif., suburb 30 mi (48 km) NW of downtown Los Angeles, on the Santa Clara River; inc. 1987. Situated in the Santa Clara valley and nearby canyons, Santa Clarita includes the former towns of Canyon Country, -- Newhall Memorial can continue to furnish fur·nish tr.v. fur·nished, fur·nish·ing, fur·nish·es 1. To equip with what is needed, especially to provide furniture for. 2. free breast cancer screening This article or section recently underwent a major revision or rewrite and needs further review. You can help! X-ray mammography Mammography is still the modality of choice for screening of early breast cancer, since it is relatively fast, reasonably accurate, and for uninsured women and those under 40 who don't qualify for the procedure, thanks to a $30,000 grant awarded this week. The money was provided by Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, known for its high-profile annual run "Race for the Cure." "We really feel like we can make a difference in the lives of these young women who have no other resources to turn to," said Betty Rodriguez, executive director for the organization's affiliate in Pasadena, which awarded the grant. Patients at the hospital's Sheila R. Veloz Breast Imaging Center hail from across the county since few centers meet the specialized need. Most are referred from low-cost or county-funded health clinics. The center performs mammograms, ultrasound procedures and biopsies. The hospital will pay for a clinical breast exam if necessary. Neither the state or county funds programs to screen people younger than 40. A Medi-Cal driven program, Partnered for Progress, Every Woman Counts, provides breast and cervical cervical /cer·vi·cal/ (ser´vi-k'l) 1. pertaining to the neck. 2. pertaining to the neck or cervix of any organ or structure. cer·vi·cal adj. screening for women 40 and older. Since the first grant was given in 2004, 440 patients were examined at the center, 977 procedures were performed and four cancers were found. The average age of patients, which includes some men, is 27 1/2 years old. "They have to be symptomatic symptomatic /symp·to·mat·ic/ (simp?to-mat´ik) 1. pertaining to or of the nature of a symptom. 2. indicative (of a particular disease or disorder). 3. and/or have an extremely high family history of breast cancer, uninsured and referred by a clinician clinician /cli·ni·cian/ (kli-nish´in) an expert clinical physician and teacher. cli·ni·cian n. ," said Terry Bucknall, director of the Veloz Center and an X-ray technician for 31 years. The Veloz Center is listed by the California Health Collaborative, which makes referrals. Patients come from Santa Clarita, San Fernando San Fernando, city, Argentina San Fernando (săn fərnăn`dō), city (1991 pop. 144,761), Buenos Aires prov., E Argentina. It is a district administrative center in the Greater Buenos Aires area. , Pacoima, Canoga Park, Montrose, North Hollywood and Ventura County. The hospital has received $110,000 in grants from Komen since 2004. Patients found to have cancer are automatically accepted into a Medi-Cal program and given treatment and care. Last year, roughly 63 percent of patients were Latino, about 23 percent were Caucasian and roughly 7 percent were Asian, Bucknall said. judy.orourke(at)dailynews.com (661) 257-5255 |
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