Free cancer screening offered

    PRESQUE ISLE – January has been designated Cervical Cancer Awareness Month. To help celebrate this event, Aroostook County Action Program (ACAP) Health Services will offer free cervical cancer screenings (Pap test) at each of its Family Planning sites located in Presque Isle, Fort Kent and Houlton, to women who qualify.     Cervical cancer is a disease in which cancer cells form in the cervix. Unlike other cancers, it is not caused by family genetics but rather a virus called the Human Papillomavirus (HPV).
    According to the American Cancer Society, half of the women diagnosed with cervical cancer are between the ages of 35 and 55 years old and were probably exposed to the virus in their teens or early 20s. For most women, the virus will go away on its own. But for some women, if not cleared, the virus will develop into cervical cancer.
    “As with most cancers, early detection is your best protection,” said Lisa Rubin, community education specialist for ACAP, who coordinates the Maine Breast and Cervical Health Program for Aroostook women. “Many women will not have a Pap test because they do not have a regular health care provider, believe cancer will not ‘happen to them’ or have embarrassment about the procedure.”
    The National Cancer Institute estimates that approximately 11,000 women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer. Routine Pap tests remain the most effective way to prevent invasive cervical cancer. Pap tests are simple procedures that allow doctors to look at cells from the cervix and determine if they are cancerous or pre-cancerous. This is why ACAP, in conjunction with the Maine Breast and Cervical Health Program, is offering this free service.
    If you are a woman who lives in Aroostook County, are between the ages of 30 and 64, are without health insurance, have limited health insurance or have been denied MaineCare, you may qualify for this free service. Please call Lisa Rubin at ACAP Health Services 768-3056 or the Maine Breast and Cervical Program at 800-350-5180 to schedule an appointment or to find a Family Planning site closest to you.
    ACAP provides the people of Aroostook with services and programs in the areas of health, child and family, energy and housing, and employment and training.