Breast Health Programs

Oregon and Washington have the highest rates of breast cancer in the country, according to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. For Asian women, this statistic is especially significant because those 40 and older are 21 percent less likely to have been screened for breast cancer in the past two years than white women, according to a 2007 study by the Partnership for Prevention.

AHSC has one program that focuses on prevention and one on survivorship:

Asian Actions Against Breast Cancer Project
The program targets women who are 40 and older and who speak Cantonese, Mandarin and Korean. With a grant of $28,000 from the Avon Foundation Breast Care Fund, we will provide access to 300 clinical breast exams and mammograms for free by the end of 2007. This is done through a partnership with the Oregon Breast and Cervical Cancer Program. Screening providers that we partner with include Main Street Clinic, Gateway Women’s Clinic, EPIC Imaging, Oregon Health & Science University, Clackamas County Community Health, Providence St. Vincent Medical Center and Evergreen Natural Medicine Clinic.

The program was initially called Asian Breast Cancer – Detection Early and was funded by the local affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Next year, we hope to expand the program to include Vietnamese women, hence the name change. The Chinese, the Vietnamese and Koreans are Oregon’s three largest Asian subpopulations, respectively.

Asian Breast Cancer Survivorship Program
The program helps women transition from “patient” to "survivor." With $40,000 from Susan G. Komen for the Cure, we help women understand and live with the struggles that come with cancer survivorship. Through support groups, they learn that they are not alone and share coping mechanisms with one another. We also offer arts classes, such as in flower arrangement, that offer socialization and a sense of accomplishment.