HARRISBURG, Pa. — Breast Cancer Awareness Month will kick off at the Pennsylvania State Capitol Tuesday morning with the fountain turning pink. This is just one of many events that will be held this month by the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition who will be raising awareness about breast cancer and the importance of mammogram screenings all month long.
The coalition says they are focusing on screening because they are the best way to detect early breast cancer. Mammograms should begin around age 40 depending on breast cancer history in your family.
The coalition also says what has been most alarming is that thousands of women did not get their mammograms last year because of many different reasons regarding the pandemic, like their appointments were canceled when these facilities closed and they never rescheduled, or they put it off during the height of the pandemic and never rescheduled.
Pa. Breast Cancer Coalition President and Founder Pat Halpin-Murphy says a mammogram missed is a diagnosis missed.
"It's so important to find breast cancer early through screening because if you do the survival rate is 99% over five years for early diagnosis and the way to find out is to get your mammogram," Halpin-Murphy said.
She also said the best mammogram a woman can get is a 3D mammogram which she calls the latest and greatest technology because it is about 40% more effective than 2D mammograms.
More information on the Pa. Breast Cancer Coalition, breast cancer screenings, and how to find a 3D mammography center near you can be found here.