Insurance coverage for breast cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment is vital to obtaining health care for the condition. People who are uninsured or who have coverage for certain treatments or procedures canceled should review their options.
At least 290,000 people are expected to be diagnosed with unresectable breast cancer at any given time each year.
Time Institute Breast and Cervical Cancer Complete Information and Statistics 2022.
Knowing what resources are available is key to achieving the best results.
This article will explain the types of breast cancer treatments you need, what types of insurance cover them, and what you can do when you don’t have insurance.
Prevention, diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer
What type of care you may need at each stage of your cancer diagnosis is important.
Preventive screening:
A mammogram is the most effective screening tool for breast cancer. Other radiological studies, such as chest ultrasound and chest MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), may be done if a person has symptoms, has dense breasts, is at risk, or if a mammogram detects an abnormality.
Free screening:
The National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Care Program (NBCECDP) was created in 1990 to increase access to breast cancer screening. More than 250,000 people are screened by the program each year.
Diagnosis:
A mammogram may overestimate the severity of the cancer, but a breast biopsy is essential for a cognitive diagnosis. This information will be key in deciding how to treat you.
Your healthcare provider will also want to see if the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. This may require additional radiological studies, procedures, office visits, and hospital admissions.
Treatment:
Treatment includes drugs (eg, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, immunotherapy), radiation, surgery.