Title
Proclamation Designating October 2024 as "Breast Cancer Awareness Month" (Accepted by Nancy Partridge)
Body
WHEREAS, in 2024, it is estimated that in the United States there will be 310,720 new cases of invasive breast cancer among women, and 42,250 breast cancer deaths. It is also estimated there will be 2,790 new cases of invasive breast cancer in men, and 530 breast cancer deaths; and
WHEREAS, the New Mexico Department of Health reports that breast cancer remains the most common cancer among women in the state, and the second leading cause of cancer deaths; and
WHEREAS, New Mexico has one of the lowest breast cancer rates in the nation, with 114 cases per 100,000 people; and
WHEREAS, minority groups bear a disproportionate cancer burden because of factors such as poverty, being uninsured or underinsured, and a lack of access to early detection services and high-quality treatment; and
WHEREAS, when caught in its earliest, localized stages, the 5-year relative survival rate for breast cancer is 99%; and
WHEREAS, advances in early detection and treatment methods have significantly increased breast cancer survival rates in recent years, and there are currently over 4 million breast cancer survivors in the United States; and
WHEREAS, funding for research, public education about symptoms, insurance coverage for diagnostic testing, early detection, and affordable treatments are the keys to fighting breast cancer.
NOW, THEREFORE, on behalf of the Council of the Incorporated County of Los Alamos, I do hereby proclaim the Month of October 2024 as
“Breast Cancer Awareness Month”
in Los Alamos County and encourage our community to become educated about the early warning signs and causes of breast cancer and its effective treatment.