“As you know, October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.”

The American Cancer Society e-mail assumes I know more than what I do. This is the cancer that is most frightening to me. Breast cancer first affected me when I was in the 8th grade and it took my mother’s life. Three years ago when my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer, emotion and logic took up battle stations in my mind and went at it. She is now a three-year survivor and co-chair of the 2006 Newberg Relay for Life.

One thing I just learned from awareness month is the disparity in use of mammography between women below the poverty line and those above. Stats divided into three age categories indicate that approximately 55% of women in poverty use mammography while 72% above poverty access this critical early diagnosis tool. Both compassion and financial efficiency call for a change in these numbers.