Breast & Cervical Cancer Control Program (BCCP)

Services

Available to women ages 40-64 who qualify financially for Cervical and Breast Cancer screening, including lab work and a complete physical examination consisting of pap smear testing, and a clinical breast exam with instruction in self breast examination. Women who qualify will also be scheduled for a mammogram. Eligible women 21-39 may also receive services based on symptoms.

Additional Information

For more information about North Carolina BCCCP please call NC BCCCP at 800-662-7030 or visit their website

To determine if you are eligible for services at the Graham County Department of Public Health, call 828-479-7900.

Breast and cervical cancer control program logo

The Facts

More women in the United States are diagnosed with breast cancer every year than with any other cancer except skin cancer. This year, about 175,000 cases will be diagnosed and about 43,000 women will die of the disease. Many of these lives could have been saved by early diagnosis.

At Risk

Most women who get breast cancer have no family history of the disease or other risk factors. Breast cancer can occur at any age, but it becomes more common as a woman gets older. Although some women are at a slightly higher risk - women whose mothers or sisters had breast cancer, women who have never had children, and women who had their first child after age 30 - the biggest risk factor for breast cancer is being a woman.

The Best Defense: Early Detection

The earlier breast cancer is detected, the easier it is to treat. The American Cancer Society recommends the following guideline for early detection:

Age 40 & over

  • Do a breast self-exam each month
  • Have a clinical breast exam by a health care professional every year*
  • Have a mammogram every year

* The clinical breast exam should be done close in time to the scheduled mammogram.

Age 20 to 39

  • Do a breast self-exam each month
  • Have a clinical breast exam by a health care professional every three years