The goal of the program is to help employees detect cancer as early as possible. City employees would be able to take time away from their job for regular cancer screenings without losing pay. Under Mayor Gonzales s proposal, the City of San Jose would become the first city in the state to provide employees with screening opportunities. By taking a proactive role, we can save lives and improve the quality of life of our employees and their families. Gonzales also challenged other local employers to take similar preventive measures for their employees.
Early diagnosis can save lives.
This program will be relatively easy to implement for the City, and we can become a model for other employers. According to the American Cancer Society, survival rates for common cancers, such as breast cancer or prostate cancer, are 90 to 95 percent if they are discovered early before the cancer has spread. Currently the City of San Jose has approximately 7000 employees, and nearly half would fall into risk groups where regular screenings for breast or prostate cancer would be effective because of their age. Gonzales will recommend to the San Jose City Council that the cancer screening program be included in the upcoming budget. In 1999, California Lt. Governor Cruz Bustamante launched a statewide campaign in partnership with the American Cancer Society to promote breast cancer awareness and early screening through workplace programs.