Thousands of women are diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States each year. Many women cannot afford the adequate healthcare to beat the disease. In the Palmetto State, racial and ethnic minorities, low-income women and those with little or no health insurance, are less likely to receive quality care and more likely to die from breast cancer. For the past six years, the Lowcountry Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure has used contributions from local supporters—more than $2 million in funds—for grants to Lowcountry organizations that work to decrease breast cancer disparities and increase access to education, outreach, and preventive care. Read full story.

Low-income women are less likely to get screened and more likely to be diagnosed with a later stage of breast cancer. They are three times more likely to die from the disease. White women in South Carolina are nearly 11 percent more likely to develop breast cancer, but African-American women are nearly 35 percent more likely to die of it.

“At the heart of the numbers is that women lack access to information and proper care, and don’t have enough money to afford it,” says Taffy Tamblyn, executive director of the Komen Lowcountry Affiliate. “Each year we use the generous gifts from local supporters to fund our community organizations that solve those basic issues. It’s easier said than done, but together, we’ll beat breast cancer.” Since 2001, the Affiliate has provided one-year grants to organizations throughout its 12-county region, which includes Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Beaufort, Berkeley, Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester, Georgetown, Hampton, Jasper and Orangeburg. Six local breast cancer advocacy programs received grants for 2007-2008.

Allendale County Hospital’s Pink Prevention Program was awarded $26,400 to cover screenings, diagnostic mammograms and radiology treatment for uninsured or under-insured women ages 21 to 64 in Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell and Hampton counties.

Think Pink IV, operated by the Regional Medical Center of Orangeburg and Calhoun Counties, received $17,230 to aid in the cost of mammograms and education. Women ages 35 to 46 with little or no insurance will receive mammogram screenings, clinical breast exams and in-depth information about breast health.

Volunteers in Medicine (VIM) and Beaufort Jasper Hampton Comprehensive were awarded larger grants. VIM received $64,565 to serve Hilton Head residents who do not qualify for Medicare or Medicaid. Beaufort Jasper Hampton Comprehensive received $74,000 for its “Just In Case You Ever Wondered” Program that offers outreach education and mammograms to women in Beaufort, Jasper and Hampton Counties.

Charleston Breast Center, a non-profit medical facility, received $22,326 to fulfill its mission of providing expedited breast health services to women in the Lowcountry and coastal areas. The Medical University of South Carolina’s Hollings Cancer Center (HCC) received $33,200 to help implement its newly created three-step system to inform women of their clinical breast cancer exams and mammograms—and keep them informed.