Hi everyone! As you may know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In honor of this month, let’s discuss a topic highly relevant to the fight against breast cancer–the importance of passing the SCREENS for Cancer Act to ensure equitable access to life-saving cancer screenings.
Did you know that early detection of breast and cervical cancer can save lives by catching the disease at a more treatable stage? However, many individuals still face barriers to accessing essential screenings. The National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) has been a vital resource for more than 30 years, providing free or low-cost cancer screenings to people who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford them.
By reauthorizing this program through 2028, the SCREENS for Cancer Act will continue to offer this crucial support, ensuring that people from all walks of life, regardless of income, location, or insurance status, can receive the screenings they need.
The SCREENS for Cancer Act, which has already gained bipartisan support in both the House and Senate, does not require any additional funding and has no score attached. This makes it a financially sound and urgently needed step toward improving public health.
Why It Matters
- Early detection saves lives: Screening programs help detect cancer early, improving survival rates and reducing mortality. Estimates suggest that early screening could result in a 99% 5-year relative survival rate for breast cancer.
- Cost-effective care: Treating cancer at an early stage is not only more effective but also less expensive. The U.S. currently spends approximately $30 billion annually on breast cancer treatments and $12 billion on cervical cancer treatments. This cost could be significantly reduced with broader screening access.
- Equitable access: Significant financial and racial disparities exist in terms of who is affected most by breast cancer. Currently, Black women are the most likely demographic to die from breast cancer and have the youngest median age of diagnosis. Additionally, uninsured individuals are more likely to have their breast cancer caught at a later stage, leading to decreased survival. Overall, the NBCCEDP aims to address these disparities by offering low-cost or free life-saving cancer screenings.
How You Can Help
By clicking the link below, you can urge your representatives to support the SCREENS for Cancer Act and help make life-saving screenings accessible to all.
Urge Congress to support the SCREENS for Cancer Act!
Together, we can ensure that everyone has the chance to catch cancer early—when treatment is most effective.
~Jake Konigsberg, NCYET Advocacy Chair