Senator Perkins Honors Mother's Day By Encouraging Breast Cancer Screening

State Senator Bill Perkins (D-Harlem) asks New Yorkers to show their love, respect, and compassion for women across the state by advocating the importance of regular mammogram screening.

"I am a strong believer in the importance of mammogram screening," said Senator Perkins. "It’s a grim and saddening fact that breast cancer affects one in eight women during their lives. These women are our beloved mothers, sisters, aunts, wives, friends and neighbors. We all understand how important these people are in our lives, so this Mother’s Day, let’s find the necessary time to remind them how important their health is."

A mammogram is a safe and highly accurate X-ray of the breast resulting in a detailed image that can detect cancer early on. What’s more, mammograms have been shown to lower the risk of dying from breast cancer. The National Cancer Institute recommends that women age 40 and older have a screening mammogram every one to two years.

An excellent resource for New Yorkers with mammography questions or concerns is the Adelphi NY Statewide Breast Cancer Hotline and Support program, which directs callers to community resources and provides telephone support through volunteers, all of whom are breast cancer survivors. The toll-free hotline, at 1-800-877-8077, has offered information and support for 28 years.

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women. African-American women are especially at risk because their mortality rates are higher than all other racial and ethnic groups. Senator Perkins said African-American women should make mammogram screening a top priority this year and for years to come.

If you don’t receive regular breast cancer screening, due to cost, you may qualify for low-cost or no-cost screening by contacting Memorial Hospital for Cancer & Allied Diseases at (212)531-8001.

"The mothers of New York are our role models, our selfless givers to family, and our bottomless wells of love and support," Senator Perkins concluded. "Every Mother’s Day we celebrate those invaluable qualities that embody the role of motherhood. Let’s give the greatest gift we can by helping them make their health a top-priority year-round. Every woman should take this step for herself and for those who love her - I encourage it."