October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and NYC Health + Hospitals is urging New Yorkers to schedule a mammogram. Mammograms cannot prevent breast cancer, but they are the best way to find it early. When breast cancer is detected before it has spread beyond the breast, the survival rate is 99 percent.
Some people who have breast cancer have no signs or symptoms. Early detection can help you prevent breast cancer from spreading to other parts of the body. Women over the age of 40 should be screened for breast cancers. To schedule a mammogram or other breast cancer screening, New Yorkers should call 844-NYC-4NYC (844-692-4692). Established patients can use MyChart to request an appointment. Referrals can also be made as part of a routine virtual visit with your provider.
“Routine breast cancer screenings save lives,” said NYC Health + Hospitals Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer Machelle Allen, MD. “Every woman 40 years of age and older should speak with her doctor about her specific risks for developing breast cancer and how frequently she should be screened for breast cancer. Screenings are easy and generally only take 20 minutes. Don’t procrastinate, schedule an appointment today.”
“Black women and women of color are usually diagnosed at a later stage of breast cancer – making early detection even more important,” said NYC Health + Hospitals Chief Women’s Health Officer Wendy Wilcox, MD, MPH, MBA, FACOG. “NYC Health + Hospitals will do everything it can to reduce the barriers associated with getting mammogram – cost or lack of insurance should not be an impediment.”
Breast cancer is the second-most common form of cancer among women in the United States after skin cancer. Men can also get breast cancer, although such cases are rare. In the U.S., breast cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death among women, after lung cancer. The American Cancer Society estimates that there will be over 41,000 breast cancer-associated deaths in 2023. Black women tend to have a higher death rate from breast cancer than their White, Latino, and Asian/Pacific Islander counterparts, most often because they are diagnosed later and thus miss early treatment.