HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition (PBCC) will kick off Breast Cancer Awareness Month by turning the Harrisburg State Capitol East Wing Fountain pink. Residents will celebrate and commemorate those battling cancer, recovering, and loved ones who passed away.
The message organizers would like to spread from today's event is for every woman to get screened for breast cancer early. Natalie Kopp, communications director for PBCC, told FOX43 that every day, 38 women are diagnosed with breast cancer. That's about 14,000 women per year.
“It touches each and every one of us…when cancer is detected early, it’s so small that you wouldn’t even feel that lump yourself, so you need to get screened every single year; it’s a way to make sure that if you are diagnosed with breast cancer early,” Kopp said.
PBCC says the golden age for a woman to receive a mammogram is 40-years-old. If someone in the family has been treated for breast cancer though, experts recommend getting screened earlier.
According to Kopp, Pennsylvania is the first state in the nation to provide 3D mammograms for free. A 3D mammogram uses X-rays to show breast images that detect breast tumors, lumps, and abnormal details. A standard mammogram only takes one-dimensional images of the breast from above.
“(These) mammograms paint a really clear picture for women who have dense breast tissue," Kopp said.
In 2020, PBCC helped pass legislation that required insurance to cover screenings for women. Officials say they would like to take it a step further by making it free for high-risk women to get screened for breast cancer.
“We currently have two pieces of legislation that we’re hoping move forward in both the Senate and the house," Kopp told FOX43. "The first is Senate Bill 1225, sponsored by Senator Bob Mench, and that would require all breast MRIs and ultrasounds for women at high risk to be provided at no cost, so that means no co-pays, no deductibles, no co-insurances. (They) would be provided at no cost to women who need those screenings."
The second piece of legislation will also require insurance not to charge for MRIs and ultrasounds for women who are insured in Pennsylvania and are considered high risk.
“No woman should face a barrier for a screening that could save her life,” Kopp said.
The Pink Fountain event will take place at the State Capitol with the speaking portion taking place inside the rotunda.
Pink milkshakes will be provided by the Pa. Dairymen's Association.