Lifesavers

Under California law, health-insurance policies, health-maintenance organizations, and Medi-Cal are required to furnish mammography screening, the most effective tool for the early detection of breast cancer. But many women do not have that protection. For them, the American Cancer Society, 145 radiology facilities and a group of major businesses have agreed to provide 50,000 mammograms at $50, substantially less than the usual charge.

Phone banks at (800) 522-4526 will operate during weekday working hours until the end of the month to make appointments for eligible women. Applicants must be at least 35, neither pregnant nor nursing, and without a conflicting cancer history.

This screening is a welcome public venture in preventive medicine. The need for the program is a measure in itself of the inadequacy of health-care protections in the nation. With early detection, there is a 95% recovery rate from breast cancer.