Everyone is threatened by cancer. (Cancer Awareness).

Everyone knows that early diagnosis is the key to successful cancer treatment. The earlier this dread disease is identified, the sooner treatment is begun, the less radical the treatment while the greater the chances for a full recovery. That is why all of us see our doctors annually and get those check-up and tests: mammograms, PAP smears, prostate tests, colonoscopy screenings, etc. Fortunately our insurance covers these tests because is more cost effective to have the tests than to treat the disease in advanced stages.

But what about those of us without health insurance? Here in the San Fernando Valley almost 600,000 people lack health insurance benefits of any kind. These are the hard-working, lower-income people whom we see everywhere: waiters, retail clerks, nannies, part-time workers, students, job-seekers, commission sales people. And few of them make enough money to pay today's skyrocketing rates for medical insurance coverage. How will these folks even know if they have cancer when they can't afford the diagnostic tests?

Some local non-profit medical clinics like Valley Community Clinic provide a full array of cancer screenings absolutely free of charge. Although the Clinic provides many of its services on a sliding scale basis, all cancer testing and screening is done free of charge. The Clinic does not want barriers of any kind preventing its uninsured, low-income patients from receiving these life-saving tests. In fact, Valley Community Clinic routinely arranges for outside organizations to come to the Clinic to provide their services, rather than referring our patients out for needed tests. This creates a much higher level of comfort for the patients, and thus increases the chances that they will make and then keep their testing appointment. It allows Clinic staff to monitor the appointments and to make reminder calls and rescheduling calls for missed appointments. Further, Clinic specialists are on hand during testing hours to provide follow-up care, information and instruction to every patient after his/her test.

This is the way Valley Community Clinic fights cancer for its patients: annual testing and counseling for all patients in medically agreed upon risk groups in an atmosphere of familiarity and comfort for the patient.

Cancer effects all of us. There is probably not a single person in the country who has not been personally touched by the spectre of cancer: a spouse, a child, a parent, a loved one, a friend. Its tentacles reach into every family, every year. While the fight for a true cure continues, the best any of us can do is to get our annual check ups and get all the diagnostic testing your doctor recommends for you. It could save your life. And after you've done that, perhaps you could think about supporting your local community clinic and save a few more.

This article was provided by Valley Community Clinic.