BREAST CANCER RESOURCE GUIDE

Support includes wigs, mastectomy bras/prostheses, temporary housing (Hope Lodge), nutrition counseling, art therapy, exercise/yoga, counseling, social work, spiritual care, palliative care, and connections to advocacy organizations.

A cancer disparity exists when one group of people in a population gets or dies from cancer more often than other groups. Factors like race/ethnicity, income, education, access to care, environment, genetics, and social norms contribute to disparities.

The goal is to provide breast cancer education, screenings, and related resources to people in the St. Louis area, focusing on those at increased risk and medically underserved, aiming to eliminate barriers to screening and treatment.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in American women, with a 1 in 8 chance of developing it during their lifetime.

Yes, although breast cancer occurs almost entirely in women, men can get breast cancer too.

Common symptoms include a new lump or mass, swelling, skin irritation or dimpling, breast or nipple pain, nipple retraction, redness or thickening of nipple or skin, and nipple discharge other than breast milk.

Women 40–44 may opt for annual mammograms; ages 45–54 should get mammograms every year; 55 and older can switch to every other year or continue annually, as long as they are healthy and expected to live 10 more years or longer.

High-risk women, such as those with BRCA1/2 gene mutations, strong family history, personal history of radiation therapy to the chest at a young age, or certain genetic syndromes, should get both an MRI and mammogram each year, typically starting at age 30.

Treatments include chemotherapy (drugs to kill cancer cells), breast-conserving surgery (lumpectomy), mastectomy (entire breast removal), targeted therapy drugs, and sometimes oncoplastic (reconstructive) surgery.

Show Me Healthy Women (SMHW) offers free breast and cervical cancer screenings for Missouri women who meet income, age (35–64, or over 64 if not on Medicare Part B), and lack of insurance guidelines.

Support groups are available through the American Cancer Society, Breakfast Club, Breast Cancer Foundation of the Ozarks, Cancer Support Community of Greater St. Louis, Mercy Hospitals, Siteman Cancer Center, and more.

Resources include CancerCare, Gateway to Hope, The Catherine H. Tuck Foundation, Komen Treatment Assistance Fund, Triple Step Toward the Cure, Sisters Network Inc., Patient Advocate Foundation, Patient Services Incorporated, Remember Betty, Tata Sisterhood, and hospital-based programs.

Assistance is available from The Pink Fund, Patient Advocate Foundation, PAN Foundation, Sisters Network Inc., Partnership for Prescription Assistance, Good Days, Peregrine Society, and Needy Meds.

Yes. Resources include the Road to Recovery Program, Express Medical Transporters, Medical Transportation Management, Missouri Care, Non-Emergency Medical Transportation, Pink Ribbon Girls, Peregrine Society, Corporate Angel Network, Angel Flight, and Air Charity Network.

Food Outreach Meal Delivery Program, Community Action Agency of St. Louis County, StringsforaCURE, Pink Ribbon Girls, St. Louis Area Foodbank, Peregrine Society, Saint Anthony Food Pantry, and Saint Louis Dream Center all offer nutrition or food assistance.

1) Don’t smoke, 2) Avoid secondhand smoke, 3) Exercise regularly, 4) Maintain a healthy weight, 5) Eat a healthy diet, 6) Drink alcohol in moderation if at all, 7) Stay connected with friends and family, and 8) Get screening tests and go to regular check-ups.

Knowing your family's cancer history can inform your risk level and help you and your doctor make informed decisions about when and how often to get screening for breast cancer and other cancers.

Questions include: Should I receive a mammogram? When and from whom will I get my results? What do the results mean? Do I need to come back? Does your clinic/hospital have a financial assistance application if I need it?

Offer to provide resources, help make the appointment, share your own experience, offer transportation, assist with test preparation, or simply provide support, patience, and understanding.

Targeted therapy drugs specifically address gene changes in cancer cells that help the cells grow or spread, such as PARP inhibitors for cancers caused by BRCA gene mutations.

Yes, many community health centers and programs (e.g., Affinia Healthcare, Betty Jean Kerr People’s Health Centers, Siteman Cancer Centers, Show Me Healthy Women) offer sliding-scale fees or free screenings for qualifying individuals without adequate insurance.

Support includes wigs, mastectomy bras/prostheses, temporary housing (Hope Lodge), nutrition counseling, art therapy, exercise/yoga, counseling, social work, spiritual care, palliative care, and connections to advocacy organizations.

A cancer disparity exists when one group of people in a population gets or dies from cancer more often than other groups. Factors like race/ethnicity, income, education, access to care, environment, genetics, and social norms contribute to disparities.