October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

NORTH GEORGIA – The North Georgia Health District urges women ages 40 years and older to talk with their county health department or their doctor during National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October about screening for breast cancer. Women who cannot afford mammograms may be eligible for free screening.

Breast cancer screenings are critical for women over 50, and through the Georgia Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening Program (BCCP), mammograms are accessible and free for all eligible women. Whether you do it for yourself or for your family, Breast Cancer Awareness Month is the perfect time to get screened. Contact your county health department or doctor and schedule your screening. It could save your life.

Breast cancer is the most diagnosed cancer among Georgia women and accounts for 30 percent of all new cancer cases among women in Georgia. It is estimated that during 2020 in Georgia, 8,340 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 1,380 women will die from breast cancer.

Moreover, a disproportionate number of deaths occur among minority women or lower-income groups.

Black women in Georgia are more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer at later stages, while white women are more likely to be diagnosed at an earlier stage when the cancer is still localized and more possible to be successfully treated.

Hispanic women have a lower likelihood of developing breast cancer (1 in 10) compared to white women (1 in 8) but they are more likely to be diagnosed at later stages, regardless of age and economic status.

It was estimated that 3,200 Hispanic women in the United States died from breast cancer in 2018.

Health disparities are most likely due to cultural barriers, such as language, and barriers to accessing health care due to a person’s economic standing, immigration status or education.

The Georgia Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening Program provides access to breast and cervical cancer screening and diagnostic services for lower-income, uninsured, and underserved women who are between the ages of 40 to 64 for breast cancer and 21 to 64 for cervical cancer.

Contact a local county health department or physician today to learn more about breast cancer screening.
Health departments in the North Georgia Health District are in Cherokee, Fannin, Gilmer, Murray, Pickens and Whitfield counties and can be located on the health district website at www.nghd.org.

Learn more about our Breast and Cervical Cancer Program at http://bit.ly/BreastCancerNorthGA.