Susan G. Komen for the Cure, San Diego educates San Diego on risks of not getting mammograms
Susan G. Komen for the Cure, San Diego, a non-profit providing funds for breast cancer diagnostics, treatment, education, screening and patient support wants to educate the public on the risks of not getting a mammogram and why women in San Diego and the U.S. are still not getting them, despite increased public awareness.
“What is shocking is it’s not just the under and uninsured women not getting mammograms, it’s even the women that have access to healthcare resources,” said Laura Farmer Sherman, executive director of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, San Diego. “We know that early detection has saved many people’s lives. A mammogram can reduce late stage diagnosis which leads to a higher risk of mortality.”
The most recent statistic shows that only 50.8 percent of women 40 years of age and older have reported having a mammogram within the past year. That means that the other half of women in the U.S. are not getting their yearly mammograms.
“Unfortunately, we still don’t know exactly what causes breast cancer to develop in a certain person which means we can’t predict who should get a mammogram and who shouldn’t,” said Farmer Sherman. “Right now, mammograms are the most effective way to catch breast cancer early, but only if women get them.”
In the U.S., one woman is diagnosed with breast cancer every two minutes and one woman will die of breast cancer every 13 minutes. With $1.4 million at work locally, Komen San Diego continues to be the County’s only breast cancer organization committed to providing services for every step of the breast cancer journey, including providing mammograms and breast screenings to the women of San Diego.
Take the first step today. For more information on where you can get mammograms, visit www.komensandiego.org.