Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson Urges New Yorkers to Use Mother’s Day as a Reminder to Schedule Annual Mammograms

Early Detection Can Mean Full Recovery 

Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson reminds New Yorkers that May 8^th is Mother’s Day, and is encouraging everyone to celebrate and honor our mothers by scheduling an annual mammogram to protect their health and well-being. 

“Mother’s Day is a wonderful time to celebrate our love for those who have cared for us from the cradle to adulthood.  It is also a day to remind all of the women in our lives to continue protecting their health,” said Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson.  “By taking preventative health measures, such as having routine mammograms, the chances of early detection can make all the difference in the battle against breast cancer.” 

In the United States, 1 of every 8 women will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime. In 2010, an estimated 207,090 new cases of invasive breast cancer were expected to be diagnosed in women in the U.S., along with 54,010 new cases of non-invasive breast cancer. Rates have been declining, however, as from 1999 to 2006, breast cancer incidence rates in the U.S. decreased by about 2% per year. This is largely in part to increased awareness and testing. 

Though 95% of diagnoses are in women aged 40 and up, younger women are also prone to this disease. Additionally, roughly 2,000 men are diagnosed annually. 

“One of the best practices to aid in the decline of breast cancer is for women to get a mammogram every year. I hope that no matter how busy the women in our lives are, we will use Mother’s Day as a reminder to them to schedule these potentially life-saving checkups,” Senator Hassell-Thompson noted. 

Anyone wishing to learn more about breast cancer and where to get a mammogram can call the Adelphi New York Statewide Breast Cancer Hotline and Support program at 1 (800) 877-8077 or visit their website at www.adelphi.edu/nysbreastcancer, or visit Susan G. Komen for the Cure at www.komen.org.