The Knox Clinic is one of eight health organizations receiving cancer screening grants from the Maine Cancer Foundation. Total funding for the eight grants comes to $494,000. These two-year grants will increase access to necessary cancer screenings across the state, according to the Foundation, in a news release.

The Knox Clinic is receiving $80,000 to increase access and quality of life-saving cancer screenings in Midcoast Maine.  

"Cancer screening is a crucial component of cancer control as it helps to detect cancer early, when treatment is likely to work best," said the Foundation. "With some cancers, including colorectal and cervical, screening can prevent the occurrence of the disease altogether.

"Unfortunately, there has been an increase in cancer diagnoses among people under 50 nationwide, and researchers expect this trend to continue," the release continues. "This shift underscores the importance of getting screened and ensuring all individuals have equitable access to cancer screenings. Barriers to screening can arise when individuals face challenges such as a lack of transportation, insurance or financial concerns, misperceptions about screening eligibility, and even fear of the screening itself."

Over the last decade, Maine Cancer Foundation has invested $5.7 million towards improving cancer screening in Maine, most recently with eight two-year grant awards that will decrease barriers to screening and ensure more Mainers stay up to date on their cancer screenings.  

Grant Recipients and Initiatives: 

-Greater Portland Health, Expanding Access to Cancer Screenings for Underserved Mainers: A Community-Based Approach, $80,000

-Harrington Family Health Center, Leveraging Digital Tools to Promote Equitable Cancer Screenings, $14,000

-Knox Clinic, Increasing Access and Quality of Life-Saving Cancer Screenings in Midcoast Maine, $80,000  

-MaineGeneral Medical Center, Early Detection at Work: MaineGeneral’s Prostate and Lung Cancer Screening Program, $40,000 

-MaineHealth - Maine Medical Center, Improving Lung Cancer Screening in Through a CHW Approach, $80,000  

-Mi’kmaq Nation, Mi’kmaq Screen to Save, $40,000  

-Mount Desert Island Hospital, Expanding Access to Screening Mammography in Maine’s Downeast District, $80,000

-Rangeley Health and Wellness Partnership, Expanding Lung and Colorectal Cancer Screening in Rural Northern Franklin and Oxford County, $80,000

"With the rise in certain cancers among younger people, expanding access to screening has never been more urgent," said Ray Ruby, Maine Cancer Foundation's executive director. "We are proud to partner with these organizations to ensure all Mainers have access to critical cancer screenings, leading to more effective treatment and improved survival rates."

In 2026, MCF is on track to invest over $2 million in grants to organizations across Maine, according to the news release. All funded programs support cancer prevention, early detection, and improved outcomes statewide.

Maine Cancer Foundation leads a statewide effort to reduce the impact of cancer in Maine. We invest in the most promising and effective programs that advance cancer prevention, increase screening, and improve access to care for all Maine people. For more information, please visit www.mainecancer.org