In North Carolina, more than 6,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year. Women in our state have a one-in-eight lifetime risk of developing breast cancer. It’s the second leading cause of cancer deaths for women in North Carolina.

While the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted routine care, it’s as important as ever to get regular check-ups and screenings.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) recognizes the importance of raising awareness about early breast cancer detection and care. That’s why we work with organizations that offer hope, support, and resources to patients.

Susan G. Komen, the world’s largest nonprofit funder of the fight against breast cancer, runs two affiliate chapters in North Carolina. Based in the Triangle and Charlotte, each affiliate provides support to breast cancer patients and survivors. They also fund local research and inspire hope for communities across the state.

For more than 15 years, Blue Cross NC has supported the Charlotte and North Carolina Triangle to the Coast affiliates. Their mission is to reduce breast cancer deaths and ultimately find a cure. Here are some of the ways our partnerships come to life.

Through annual sponsorships of Race for the Cure, as well as events like the Finding Solutions luncheon, Blue Cross NC supports the nonprofit’s fundraising efforts. Our team is onsite to engage community members via giveaways and the chance to sign the pink pace car. The car is featured at the Drive for the Cure 250 in Charlotte.

Employees are also passionate about supporting the organization – financially, physically and in spirit. A team of employees, many of them survivors, participate in the Race for the Cure. They take each step in honor of loved ones and recognition of the fight against breast cancer.

In 2018 Blue Cross NC invested $300,000 in a Treatment Assistance Program. The program provided financial assistance, education and support services to low-income, underinsured or uninsured breast cancer patients across 42 counties in North Carolina.

Like Komen, Blue Cross NC recognizes the importance of raising awareness about early breast cancer detection and care.

Dr. Anuradha Rao-Patel, lead medical director at Blue Cross NC, said she encourages patients to continue to get routine check-ups and mammograms.

“We know that you may have some concerns about visiting your doctor’s office during the pandemic,” she said. “But we urge you not to delay your preventative care visits which include regular cancer screenings. Keeping up these visits can help your doctor find and treat disease early – sometimes even before the symptoms appear.”

For more questions about COVID-19 and its impact on breast cancer patients, visit Susan G. Komen’s resource page.