Breast Cancer Awareness Remains Important as Maverick County Records Almost 30 Cases Annually
By Jose G. Landa, Copyright 2026 Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc.
Breast cancer awareness and early detection remain important issues for women across Maverick County, where the most recent available federal cancer statistics show approximately 30 women are diagnosed with invasive breast cancer during an average year.
The most recent available federal cancer data published through the National Cancer Institute’s State Cancer Profiles show Maverick County with an age-adjusted invasive breast cancer incidence rate of 106.5 cases per 100,000 women, with approximately 30 new cases diagnosed during an average year.
Perhaps even more important from an awareness and prevention standpoint is when those cancers are being detected.
The most recent available data show approximately 38 percent of breast cancer cases in Maverick County were diagnosed at a late stage, compared with 33.1 percent statewide in Texas.
Maverick County averages approximately 11 late-stage breast cancer diagnoses annually.
Those numbers reinforce the importance of regular screenings and of women knowing that financial or insurance difficulties do not necessarily have to prevent them from receiving potentially lifesaving breast cancer screening services.
Women in Eagle Pass and throughout the region have access to Breast and Cervical Cancer Services, commonly known as BCCS, through both the Maverick County Hospital District and United Medical Centers.
The Maverick County Hospital District BCCS program provides breast and cervical cancer screening services to eligible women and works to reduce financial barriers that can prevent women from receiving screening, diagnostic testing and follow-up care.
Services available to eligible patients can include clinical breast examinations, screening mammograms and follow-up appointments.
When additional testing is medically necessary, services can also include diagnostic mammograms, breast ultrasounds and biopsies.
United Medical Centers also operates a BCCS program serving women across its broader service area, including patients in Maverick County and surrounding communities.
Through the program, eligible women can receive breast and cervical cancer screening and diagnostic services at no cost. Services can include clinical breast examinations, mammograms and additional diagnostic testing when medically necessary.
UMC’s BCCS program provides another important avenue for women throughout the region who are uninsured, underinsured or may otherwise have difficulty obtaining preventive breast and cervical cancer services.
Having BCCS programs available through both MCHD and UMC provides women in Maverick County and the surrounding region with additional opportunities to receive preventive care and follow-up services.
The statistics also demonstrate why breast cancer awareness should extend beyond wearing pink or recognizing
Breast Cancer Awareness Month.Early detection can mean finding breast cancer before it has progressed to a more advanced stage. With approximately 38 percent of Maverick County breast cancer cases in the most recent available federal data classified as late-stage diagnoses, encouraging women to speak with their healthcare providers about appropriate screening remains an important public health message.
