Connecticut Governor Lamont Urges Breast Cancer Screening, Highlights Free Mammograms Through State Program
On October 26, 2026, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont held a news conference in Wallingford urging women across the state to receive regular breast cancer screenings. Eligible low-income, uninsured or underinsured women can obtain mammograms at no cost through a state program.
The news conference, held in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, was also attended by Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz and Public Health Commissioner Manisha Juthani, MD. They emphasized that breast cancer is most treatable when detected early and that regular screening is an important step toward finding it sooner.
The state's Early Detection and Prevention Program connects eligible women with no-cost breast and cervical cancer screening, diagnostic and treatment services. It operates through 21 hospitals, 40 federally qualified health centers and 15 Planned Parenthood clinics. About 5,000 Connecticut residents are screened each year, and the program has provided more than 16,000 mammograms over the past five years.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends screening every other year for women ages 40 to 74. Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women of all races and ethnicities. The American Cancer Society estimates that more than 310,700 people will be diagnosed in the United States in 2026, including 3,940 new cases in Connecticut. Connecticut's 2023 incidence rate was 147.5 cases per 100,000 women, the highest in the nation, compared with a national rate of 133.8.
Lamont said everyone should have access to screening and that residents who are uninsured or underinsured can be connected by the state with providers who will perform a mammogram at no cost, adding, "This is critically important and can save your life." Juthani said treatment is more likely to be successful when breast cancer is found early, and that process starts with a mammogram. Information is available at ct.gov/dph/screening or by calling 860-509-7804.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: The Office of Governor Ned Lamont / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
