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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Friday, Feb. 15, 2008 |
CONTACT Lori Maldonado |
Help Coloradans Fight Breast Cancer and Other Cancers by “Checking Off” on This Year’s Tax FormDENVER--Placing a check mark on line 46 of your 2007 Colorado Income Tax Form will help reduce mortality from breast and reproductive cancers by improving earlier detection through education and personal advocacy, and by expanding existing screening, treatment and support programs. The donation will go to the Colorado Breast and Women’s Reproductive Cancers Fund to help create a grant program through the Colorado Cancer Coalition in partnership with the Colorado Breast Cancer Task Force, Colorado Ovarian Cancer Project and the Colorado Ovarian Cancer Alliance. Every year in Colorado nearly 1,000 women are diagnosed with reproductive cancers and over 2,800 men and women are diagnosed with breast cancer. An estimated 17 percent of Coloradans are uninsured and many others have inadequate insurance coverage. Breast, cervical, ovarian and uterine cancers not only impact the men and women diagnosed but also affect their families, friends, communities and places of work. Nearly 800,000 Coloradans are uninsured and must rely on state and federal screening and treatment programs for breast and reproductive cancers. Existing treatment programs are severely inadequate because many people who need these programs don’t qualify. While some programs do exist to screen, treat and support Coloradans with breast and other women’s reproductive cancers, more are necessary. Various age and income criteria create barriers to qualify for most assistance programs and some of the services are not available statewide. Currently, no comprehensive screening or treatment programs exist for ovarian cancer or men’s breast cancer. Education is needed for both patients and medical providers to increase awareness and referrals to the services that are available. Programs are needed to assist and support those who have cancer after treatment has ended. To learn more about the fund and to get involved, please email: coloradobwrcfund@gmail.com or visit www.coloradocancercoalition.org. ---30--- |
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