Breast cancer is both the second most common cancer and second leading cause of cancer death among women in the United States; for non-white women, it is the leading cause of cancer death.
During Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) is hoping to help reverse those trends by hosting events designed to stress the importance of early screenings for a disease that kills about 400 women each year in our state.
Mississippi has one of the highest breast cancer death rates in the nation, yet more than one-quarter of women here do not receive regular screenings that could save their lives. A woman can be diagnosed with breast cancer at any age, but some are more likely to be affected than others. Black women are more likely than all other ethnicities to die from the disease. Most at risk are women over 50, those whose mothers or sisters have had breast cancer, those who are childless or start their families after age 30 and those who are overweight.
“Not all breast cancers can be detected through self-exams, making screening mammograms the most reliable way to catch breast cancer early,” said Amy Gibbons, Director, Breast and Cervical Cancer Program (BCCP). “Programs like BCCP can help women access these services.”
By bringing awareness to the disease and encouraging early detection through these events, MSDH is hoping more women will be screened early and lives will be saved:
