October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month! The American Cancer Society, among many other organizations, dedicates the month of October to raising awareness about breast cancer. The American Cancer Society educates and informs all individuals about cancer prevention, screening and testing, signs and symptoms and early detection. In the United States, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths. According to the City Health Dashboard from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, in 2020 Skokie’s rate of breast cancer deaths was 28.2 per 100,000 compared to Evanston’s 18.9 and Oak Park’s 25.3 rates.
Annual mammograms are recommended at 25 years of age for women who are at high-risk of developing breast cancer and at 45 years of age for all women. Skokie Health and Human Services encourages all people to use MyHealthfinder to see which screening tests and vaccines you or your loved ones need to stay healthy.
For more information on national efforts to reduce new cases of cancer, be sure to check out the Healthy People 2030 Cancer Objectives to learn more