Ninety low-income women in Costa Rica will benefit from a donation of mammograms by the country’s most widely read tabloid, Diario Extra, said that paper in a recent report.

The women will be selected by the Lazos or “ties” program at the San José Bíblica Hospital, which is a support program for breast cancer victims sponsored by Grupo Mutual and Banca Kristal.

“We are working hand in hand with Grupo Extra to bring mammograms to women who need one and cannot afford one. Women must be over 40 years and have not performed a mammogram in the last year. Women under 35 can qualify with a medical referral,” said Adriana Aguilar, a doctor at the Bíblica Hospital.

The beneficiaries will be given appointments in mid-September at the Bíblica Hospital. The examination lasts about 20 minutes, and within a month-and-a-half the results will be made available.

If any abnormalities are found, the patient will be contacted immediately by phone and given an appointment with the Lazos program and a referral. Within two weeks, women will receive a follow-up if they have an abnormal mammogram, said Aguilar.

The most common modifiable risk factors for breast cancer are tobacco use, inadequate consumption  of fruits and vegetables, excessive consumption of alcohol, lack of physical activity, and chronic human papillomavirus infections.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 30 0 40 percent of cancer cases could be prevented by reducing these risk factors.

Screenings can help the early detection of cancer and aid in a rapid intervention, said Diario Extra.