October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The month of awareness educates women about breast cancer, especially the importance of early detection for 25 years.
I cannot stress the importance of detecting breast cancer in its earliest stages through mammography screenings, clinical breast exams and breast self-examination.
Excluding skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women; accounting for more than one in four cancers diagnosed in the nation among women.
Unfortunately, breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women.
An estimated 192,370 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed among women in the United States this year. In addition, an estimated 40,170 women are expected to die from the disease in 2009 alone.
Today, there are about 2.5 million breast cancer survivors living in the United States. According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 1,910 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed among men in the United States in 2009.
Women who are diagnosed with breast cancer before age 40 have slightly poorer prognoses than older women: Their five-year survival rate is about 82 percent, compared with 85 percent among women ages 40 to 74. African-American, Native American, and Hispanic women are all up to 70 percent more likely to die after a diagnosis than Caucasian women. Plus, women who are overweight are more likely to develop and die from breast cancer.
The third Friday in October of every year is National Mammography Day, which was first proclaimed by President Clinton in 1993. I urge women to make appointments to receive a mammogram. The early detection of breast cancer through the use of mammograms is a women’s best opportunity at survival of breast cancer. The early detection of breast cancer followed by treatment has saved many lives.
Please remind your loved ones to do all the proper precautions to insure that if they should detect a lump that the doctors can catch it early.
Contact Sen. Williams at his Columbia office located at 602 Gressette Office Building at (803) 212-6008 or by fax at (803) 212-6011. His district office is located at 137 Airport Road, Suite J, Mullins, SC 29574, the phone number is (843) 423-8237 and the fax number is (843) 431-6049 or email WILLIAMSK@scsenate.org.
Sen. Williams’ business phone is (843) 423-3904.
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