Ladies — Just Because October is Coming To A Close, Never Neglect The Breasts
Breast cancer does not limit itself to just occurring during the month of October. It is diagnosed every day to hundreds of women across the United States. Take a moment a read Ms. Cara James’ message about Breast Cancer Awareness.
Message from CMS OMH
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and it is a chance to raise awareness about breast cancer and the importance of screening and early detection.
Today, about 1 in 8 women born in the United States will get breast cancer at some point during her life. This year alone, it is estimated that more than 230,000 U.S. women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and nearly 40,000 will die of the disease. African American and Hispanic women are more likely than white women to be diagnosed with later stage breast cancers and they also tend to have larger tumors than white women.
Regular screening can help lower breast cancer mortality by finding breast cancer early, when the chance of successful treatment is best. When breast cancer is detected early (localized stage), the 5 year survival rate is 98%. But this is not unique to breast cancer. Survival rates for many diseases increase dramatically when detected early. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) increases access to a variety of preventive services, including cancer screenings. Preventing disease before it starts is critical to helping people live longer, healthier lives and keeping health care costs down.
Cara James
CMS OMH Director
