Letter: Cancer Screenings Important Even During A Pandemic

Dear Editor:

Recently you printed a letter from Putnam County Executive MaryEllen Odell. Ms. Odell applauded State Senator Sue Serino for sharing the news of her breast cancer diagnosis and the importance of not skipping your mammogram, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. (SEE: Letter to the Editor: Follow State Sen. Serino's Example.)

As the Director for the Cancer Services Program (CSP) of the Hudson Valley, I would like to echo both Senator Serino and County Executive Odell’s messages. Regular cancer screenings can help find cancer early when treatment may be easier. Now that COVID-19 infection rates are low, it is a good time to talk to your doctor about missed preventive care. Scheduling a mammogram is a good start.

However, many people have lost their jobs and their health insurance because of the pandemic. So how can men and women get cancer screenings? The Cancer Services Program of the Hudson Valley can help.

The CSP offers free breast and cervical cancer screenings to uninsured women age 40 and over. The program also offers free colon cancer screenings to uninsured men and women age 50 and over. If more testing is needed, the CSP will provide those tests too. If breast, cervical, or colon cancer is found, our program will help enroll those eligible in the NYS Medicaid Cancer Treatment Program for full Medicaid coverage during treatment.

The CSP of the Hudson Valley serves Putnam, Dutchess, Ulster, Sullivan, Rockland and Westchester counties. Your readers can call the CSP at 855-277-4482 to find out if they’re eligible for the program or to get more information.

Lea Cassarino, Director

Cancer Services Program of the Hudson Valley

855-277-4482