NECAC Puts Focus on Saving Women’s Lives

October 07, 2021

Stopping a killer could be as easy as making an appointment.
The not-for-profit North East Community Action Corporation (NECAC) offers participation in the Show Me Healthy Women and Family Planning programs as the nation observes National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October.
Show Me Healthy Women offers free breast and cervical cancer screenings to women ages 35 to 64 who meet income and insurance guidelines. NECAC Family Planning offers a variety of affordable screenings and low-cost health examinations to all ages based upon household income.
“We encourage women to make an appointment for one of these two vital programs,” said NECAC Deputy Director for Community Health Programs Brenda Fuqua. “The short time it takes to get a checkup could mean the difference between life and death. It sounds dramatic, because it is.”
Government statistics show breast cancer is second only to skin-related carcinomas among women. More than 281,000 will develop it this year and one in eight during their lifetimes. The disease will kill an estimated 43,500 women this year.
“One of the most troubling statistics is that 85 percent of all diagnoses have no family history,” Fuqua said. “That underscores the need for early detection and regular exams. The risk nearly doubles if she has a close relative such as a mother, sister or daughter who has been diagnosed.”
All women are at risk for cervical cancer, but those who have had three or more full-term pregnancies, had their first full-term pregnancy before age 17 or have a family history of the disease are the most vulnerable. Other risk factors include smoking and sexual history. Some strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV) can also be a cause.
While diagnosis rates have increased, there’s been a steady drop in overall death rates since the 1990s. However, Fuqua warned that families must be vigilant.
“Breast and cervical cancer are diseases that can strike quickly,” she said. “The best medicine is prevention, and one way to ensure that is to schedule a screening.”
The NECAC Family Planning program is directed by Nurse Practitioner Claudia Timbrook under the medical supervision of local volunteer OB/GYN physicians. The program receives Title X funding from the Missouri Family Health Council, but is not affiliated with any national organization. NECAC is not an abortion provider.
NECAC operates health clinics in Hannibal, Bowling Green, Warrenton and O’Fallon. For more information, or to make an appointment, call (573) 221-3404.