Countywide : $50 Breast X-Rays Available This Month

The American Cancer Society will offer mammograms at the reduced rate of $50 for about 2 weeks beginning next Sunday.

Usually, these breast X-rays, which can detect cancers before they can be felt, cost from $150 to $250, society officials said.

To qualify for the special reduced rate, a woman must be at least 35 years old, not have any symptoms of breast cancer, and not be pregnant or nursing a child. She also must meet several other health criteria, society officials said.

Beginning at 4 p.m. Sunday and running from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. from next Monday through April 30, women may call a special phone bank to request an information packet that lists the facilities offering the mammograms. The number is (714) 772-8200.

Last year, the American Cancer Society, hospitals and radiology facilities around Southern California provided 25,000 mammograms at $50 each and identified more than 650 women needing further tests for possible breast cancer.

Tash Sogg, the society’s Orange County spokeswoman, said: “The goal is to provide low-cost mammograms to at least 75,000 Southern California women and to save lives, since breast cancer is almost 95% curable if discovered in its earliest stages.”

For more information on breast health, women may telephone the American Cancer Society’s Orange County chapter at (714) 751-0441.