Breast Cancer Awareness Month is an annual campaign that helps to increase attention and support for the awareness, early detection and treatment of breast cancer. As a Black-owned media company dedicated to purposefully and consistently sharing Black news, information and atypical media coverage on issues that affect our community, Substantial is strongly invested in the fight to battling breast cancer – every month of the year.
In the United States, breast cancer continues to be the most common cancer diagnosed among women after non-melanoma skin cancer, and it is the second leading cause of cancer death. This year, the American Cancer Society estimates that more than 281,550 new cases of invasive breast cancer and 49,290 new cases of non-invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women in the United States.
While there has been an overall 40 percent decline in breast cancer deaths over the last 30 years—thanks to gains in awareness, early diagnosis, and treatment—there is a persistent mortality gap between Black women and white women.
Data compiled by the American Cancer Society highlight the need to continue working toward closing this devastating gap. Previously, Black women were found to have a slightly lower incidence rate of breast cancer. This is no longer the case: The incidence rate for Black women is close to that of white women. However, the mortality rates are markedly different, with Black women having a 40 percent higher death rate from breast cancer. Among women under 50, the disparity is even greater: The mortality rate among young Black women is double that of young white women. It is clear that the advances in treatment that have dramatically reduced breast cancer mortality overall have not equally benefitted all groups.
Breast cancer screening aims at finding breast cancer early on
October serves as a reminder for women to be screened in the hope that by doing so, early detection will lead to more positive outcomes in the fight against breast cancer.
Visit: Nationalbreastcancer.org