Breast cancer survivors rally for funding at AL State House - WSFA.com Montgomery Alabama news.

Breast cancer survivors, the American Cancer Society, the Joy to Life Foundation, and volunteers filled the steps of the Alabama State House Wednesday.

They were there pushing for more funding for a program that provides mammograms and pap tests for women who can't afford them.

Breast cancer will kill an estimated 40,000 women in America in 2014, making it the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women.  

The Alabama Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection program provides free pap tests and mammograms to women who are under-insured or don't have any insurance at all.

These are tests that go a long way in fighting the disease.

"Once they qualify for the program, they then qualify for Medicaid to get the treatment they require, or whatever necessary to treat their breast cancer," explains Ginny Campbell with the American Cancer Society.

"I am a 13 year survivor," says Barbara Harrington, "and it was through a mammogram that I was detected to have cancer. It was a tumor that no human could feel, and so a mammogram saved my life."

Harrington says she wants to stress that there are some cancers that you just can't determine by self breast exam.

Speaking on funding, Campbell says the program has gotten $244,333, but their trying to get that increased to $400,000-450,000.

The legislature this year has increased funding for the program to round it out at an even $300,000.

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