Breast Cancer Awareness Month

When detected at its earliest stages, the five-year survival rate for breast cancer is
over 90%.

On average, a woman with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation has up to a 7 in 10 chance of getting breast cancer by age 80.

Women with one of these mutations are more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer at a younger age, as well as to have cancer in both breasts.

Screening mammograms have been shown to reduce breast cancer death by 22%.

Women who reported cost as a barrier to access health care had about 2 times the odds of not getting a mammogram or follow-up screening.

About 1 in 4 women ages 50 to 74 years had not received a mammogram in the past two years (stat as of 2022).

Senate Bill 8, now Act 1 of 2023 was signed into law May 1, 2023. Act 1 eliminates all costs associated (including co-pays, deductibles and co-insurance) with breast MRIs, breast ultrasounds and BRCA-related genetic testing and counseling for Pennsylvanians at high risk insured under state law. Landmark, life-saving news! Act 1 is the first bill Governor Shapiro has signed into law. The governor was joined by the legislation’s prime sponsor Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward, PA First Lady Lori Shapiro, PBCC President and Founder Pat Halpin-Murphy and Speaker of the House Rep. Joanna McClinton at the signing table. Lawmakers, who took part in both the unanimous, bipartisan Senate vote and the unanimous, bipartisan House vote on Senate Bill 8, stood behind in support.