Tell A Friend focuses on breast cancer awareness

    The American Cancer Society kicked off Tell A Friend, a statewide campaign, Monday to call attention to the importance of mammography in the fight against breast cancer.

    Organizers hope to reach 30,000 women by recruiting 6,000 volunteers to phone at least five family members, friends and acquaintances and encourage them to get a mammogram.

    The Dallas and Fort Worth area needs 500 callers to make the program a success.

    Studies show that women are most likely to get a mammogram if they are encouraged to do so by a friend, physician or family member.

    The newly revised American Cancer society guidelines include an annual exam by a health care professional, monthly breast self examination and an annual mammogram for women 40 years and older.

    The Tell A Friend program started in the Fort Worth area five years ago and went statewide three years ago with its life-saving message.

    Businesses and corporations can participate by allowing volunteers to make calls during business hours.

    The American Cancer Society has produced an information and calling packet, containing a video to help volunteers answer frequently asked questions as well as provide information on mammography and its importance.

    Details such as the volunteer’s response to statements such as “I don’t have insurance” and “I hear it hurts” are covered in the video.

    The American Cancer Society can refer any women to a facility that will perform mammograms free of charge. Cancer Society representative say mammograms do not hurt, nor are they uncomfortable.

    A small amount of paperwork is involved for the program to be effective. In this way the American Cancer Society can keep track of who was called and the responses.

    The impact of Tell A Friend is greater when callers reach women who have never had a mammogram and high-risk groups such as women age 65 and older, Hispanic and African-American women. All information is confidential.

    Breast and other cancers affect almost 70,000 Texans each year. The survival rate of breast cancer is almost 100 percent when detected early.

    To volunteer for the Tell A Friend program, call the American Cancer Society at 817-737-9990 or 1-800-ACS-2345 to receive an information and calling packet. Also, visit website at www.cancer.org.