October 1, 2024

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

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Today, I joined Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, colleagues and medical professionals at the Hewitt Center for Breast Wellness at Griffin Hospital to remind everyone that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an annual campaign to increase breast cancer awareness and education, while also promoting research into its cause, prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

I am proud to help spread the word about the importance of this cause, which is meaningful to so many families in our community.

Please get regular medical checkups and mammograms and contact medical professionals if you have questions or concerns. If you have not yet scheduled your mammogram, this is a reminder to get it done. Early detection can save your life.

Connecticut residents who cannot afford regular mammograms may be eligible for the Connecticut Department of Public Health’s FREE Early Detection and Prevention Program. There are screening locations throughout the state for low income patients or those who don’t have health insurance.

Resources are available online at ct.gov/dph/screening or by calling 860-509-7804.

Key Statistics About Breast Cancer

According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the United States, except for skin cancers. It is about 30% (or 1 in 3) of all new female cancers each year. About 1 in 8 (12%) women in the US will develop invasive breast cancer during their lifetime.

The American Cancer Society’s estimates for breast cancer in the United States for 2024 are:

About 310,720 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women.
About 56,500 new cases of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) will be diagnosed.
About 42,250 women will die from breast cancer.

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, exceeded only by lung cancer. The chance that breast cancer will be responsible for a woman’s death is about 1 in 39 (about 2.6%). Death rates from breast cancer have been declining since about 1989, with larger decreases in women younger than 50. These decreases are believed to be the result of earlier detection through screening and increased awareness, as well as improved treatment.

At this time there are more than 4 million breast cancer survivors in the United States. (This includes women still being treated and those who have completed treatment.