NBC Connecticut is proud to be connecting you to a free breast cancer screening event.
Dozens of women received free mammograms at four different locations including St. Francis Hospital’s Comprehensive Women’s Health Center in Hartford. Radiologist, Dr. Michael Biondi, says the screening process is simple.
"Don’t be scared," he said. "A lot of women have a lot of animosity to come again. It looks like a scary machine. It gets done very quickly. The exam is less than 20 minutes and we’ll get you your results right away."
This is the seventh year Saint Francis Hospital has hosted its Pink Link event. The goal is to reach uninsured or underinsured women.
"They are medically underserved. They have no insurance. They have no resources," said registered nurse, Renee Richard. "They don’t know where to go or who to turn to so we open our doors."
They provide same-day results.
"The wait is the worst part. The mammogram is not," said coordinator Nicole Perez. "So leaving with your results, and leaving with that since of reassurance and sense of security means the world to the patients."
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Each year doctors here said they usually detect cancer in some of the patients who come in for the mammogram event. They recommend that women get yearly mammograms beginning at age 40, and if the women have cancer in their families to get them even sooner.
"If we catch cancer earlier your chances of doing better are just so much greater just drove all cancer, but particularly breast cancer," Dr. Biondi said.
