Free cancer screenings and resources for the community

The Penn Medicine Breast Health Initiative, established in 2014, provides free mammograms and Pap smears to uninsured and underinsured individuals, ensuring access to essential preventive care. These screenings can detect cancer early—often before symptoms appear—making treatment more effective.

Emily Verderame, MPH, the breast and cervical cancer screening navigator, helps women determine eligibility, schedule screenings, and stay on track with their diagnostic appointments.

Call 215-454-3217 to schedule your free screening.

The Abramson Cancer Center partners with communities across our region to provide free Fecal Immunochemical Tests (FIT) to detect hidden blood in the stool. In addition, the Colorectal Cancer Screening Navigation Program, established in 2012, offers personalized support to patients in need of colonoscopy screenings.

Led by nurse navigator Emma Brisco, MSN, RN, OCN, the program provides free services, including:

• Appointment scheduling assistance
• Prep supplies
• Reminder phone calls
• Transportation coordination or assistance

By helping patients overcome barriers to care, the program promotes early detection, which can prevent complications and improve treatment outcomes.

Learn more or call the GI Outreach Navigator at 215-614-1863.

Lung cancer screening with low-dose computed tomography (CT) is recommended for adults aged 55 to 80 years with a 30 pack-year smoking history who currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years. Early detection with a low-dose CT scan can identify lung cancer at its most treatable stage.

If you need access to lung cancer screening, fill out the online appointment form or call 800-789-7366 (PENN) to schedule your evaluation.

Penn Stop is a state-of-the-art clinical program designed to help smokers quit smoking by understanding the influence that nicotine exerts on the brain and finding stress-free ways to gain control of the problem. Smokers meet with a specially trained doctor and counselor and develop a personalized plan for ongoing care.

Learn more about Penn Stop or call 1-800-789-7366 (PENN).

The Abramson Cancer Center has developed an educational video to help men in our communities understand the risks and benefits of prostate cancer screening. For those who choose to undergo screening, a mobile phlebotomist provides free PSA tests at community prostate cancer screening events.

Prostate cancer is highly treatable when detected early. To learn more or schedule an appointment, fill out our online contact form or call 1-800-789-7366 (PENN).

Genetic counseling can provide critical insights into your potential hereditary risks for certain cancers, enabling you to take preventative steps or to see screenings earlier. To take a step toward understanding your genetic health and risks, contact the Cancer Risk Evaluation Program today.

This partnership between the Basser Center for BRCA and Alejandra Campoverdi, founder of The Well Woman Coalition, focuses on empowering the Latinx community with culturally tailored information about their hereditary cancer risks and the importance of genetic testing. Through workshops, outreach programs, and community-building efforts, the partnership raises awareness about BRCA-related cancers and ensures community members have the resources to make informed decisions about their health.

The Abramson Cancer Center supports nationally recognized efforts by members to engage teens, families, providers, and cancer survivors to play a major role in increasing the HPV vaccination rate in the catchment area. This led to Philadelphia having the highest rate of HPV vaccination among teens (13-17) in the US (89.8%). Alexander G. Fiks, MD, MSCE (CCP) and his collaborators at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) developed, tested, and disseminated a vaccination decision support system in the EHR, promoting a practice policy of vaccinating at every opportunity (Fiks et al., Pediatrics, 2016). Its implementation is now being evaluated nationally across 60 primary care practices (R01 CA202261).

The Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) of the University of Pennsylvania, the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and Thomas Jefferson University approved this training for use by community research partners engaged in human subjects research and will accept a Community Partner Training completion certificate in lieu of a CITI training completion certificate for non-University affiliated community research partners. Access this training today and take a crucial step toward advancing impactful research.