Breast cancer is one of the most common kinds of cancer in women. About 1 in 8 women born today in the United States will get breast cancer at some point.
The good news is that most women can survive breast cancer if it’s found and treated early. A mammogram – the screening test for breast cancer – can help find breast cancer early when it’s easier to treat.
National Breast Cancer Awareness Month is a chance to raise awareness about the importance of finding breast cancer early. Make a difference! Spread the word about mammograms, and encourage communities, organizations, families, and individuals to get involved.
How can National Breast Cancer Awareness Month make a difference?
We can use this opportunity to spread the word about taking steps to detect breast cancer early.
Here are just a few ideas:
- Ask doctors and nurses to speak to women about the importance of getting screened for breast cancer.
- Encourage women ages 40 to 49 to talk with their doctors about when to start getting mammograms.
- Organize an event to talk with women ages 50 to 74 in your community about getting mammograms every 2 years.
Get Involved
Take action to increase awareness about breast cancer and breast cancer screenings.
- Display posters about breast cancer screening in your organization’s break room
- Ask health professionals from your local hospital or clinic to share information about mammograms and early detection of breast cancer with your organization’s members
- Distribute materials about breast cancer screening at a local health fair
- Partner with local women’s organizations, community groups, and senior centers to share important information on breast cancer screening with women ages 40 and older
- Host or participate in a breast cancer walk with your organization’s members
Resources:
Health Topics
- Get Tested for Breast Cancer
- Talk with a Doctor if Breast or Ovarian Cancer Runs in Your Family
- Get Your Well-Woman Visit Every Year
Healthy People Topic Area
Personal Health Tools
- Mammograms: Questions for the doctor
- Genetic Testing to Learn about Your Risk for Breast and Ovarian Cancer: Questions for the doctor
- Find a Mammogram Facility
- Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool
- Women’s Health
- Mammograms
- Genetic Testing
Find More Information:
- National Breast Cancer Awareness Month Collaborating Organizations
National Breast Cancer Awareness Month Sponsor - Breast Cancer
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Mammograms
Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health - Breast Cancer Screening and Diagnosis
Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health - Breast Cancer Prevention
National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute - Breast Cancer Screening
National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute