MUSCATINE, Iowa–Statistically speaking, one out of every eight women in the United States will experience breast cancer. This cancer affects people regardless of where they live, as students at Wilton Junior-Senior High School noticed. Wanting to honor Wilton’s many breast cancer survivors and to help people across Muscatine County get the mammograms they need to detect cancer earlier so they could have better outcomes, the students organized several annual Strike Out Breast Cancer softball games. Along with honoring survivors at the game, the students used the money raised through admissions to start the Mammogram Assistance Program, or MAP, at Muscatine Radiology. Impressed by the players’ commitment to detecting breast cancer early, the doctors at Muscatine Radiology contributed to the program as well and have continued to keep it available to patients in need.

For women without health insurance or whose plans carry a high deductible, do not cover screening mammograms annually beginning at age 40 (or younger for those with a family history of breast cancer at an earlier age), or that do not cover follow-up diagnostic mammograms, getting this important screenings can prove cost prohibitive. Thanks to MAP, those who cannot afford a mammogram can receive one for free, helping them to take charge of their health. “If we get a call from a woman who sees cost as a barrier for either a screening or a diagnostic mammogram, we take them on goodwill,” said Muscatine Radiology corporate liaison and marketing director Jessica Wittman.

If a patient would like to use MAP, they simply need to fill out a form consenting to participate in the program. If people feel unsure about whether they meet MAP guidelines, they can call Muscatine Radiology at 563-263-3400 to learn more about it or to come talk to them in person at their office, located at 2104 Cedarwood Drive, Suite 100, Muscatine. For those who do not find the MAP program a good fit, Wittman encourages them to contact either UnityPoint at 563-264-9205 or Mercy Iowa City 319-339-3948 to inquire about their free and reduced cost mammogram programs. For those diagnosed with breast cancer who need help paying for care, she recommends contacting Team Breast Friends through their website or Susan G. Komen at 1-877-465-6636. “There really are lots of ways for the community to rally around breast imaging and support a diagnosis,” Wittman stressed.

Because breast cancer affects so many people and because people who receive treatment early often have significantly better outcomes, Wittman urges all women to get annual screening mammograms beginning at age 40 and for those with a family history of breast cancer to talk to their doctor to see if they should begin screening at a younger age. “We think that it is important for every woman who meets the criteria to get a mammogram every year,” Wittman emphasized.