Guest Op-Ed: October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
BY ASSEMBLYMEMBER RHODA JACOBS
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month – a time to reaffirm our commitment to prevention and early detection and to honor the brave women and men who have been touched by this tragic disease.
National Breast Cancer Awareness Month was founded in 1985 to bring attention to the disease and effective methods of fighting and preventing it. Breast cancer is the second-highest cause of cancer death in women over the last 25 years. It is estimated that 234,580 new cases will be recorded throughout the country this year, 232,340 of which will be inflicted on women. In New York State alone, breast cancer is estimated to have taken the lives of 14,950 women in 2013.