From the desk of Senator David Pearce

Facts for the Future

When we think of the colors of fall, we typically think of those vivid shades of orange, red and yellow, falling leaves and harvested fields. There is, however, one exception. The month of October is also known as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and with the profusion of pink ribbons found everywhere from cereal boxes to NFL uniforms, it serves to remind us that this disease is not merely a month long. Breast cancer does not only occur or get diagnosed in the month of October. Breast cancer is a disease that affects hundreds of thousands of families every year. What the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month was founded to do was to teach the average person the watchwords of this disease: early detection.

According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer is second only to lung cancer as the leading cause of cancer deaths in women. It is estimated that approximately 39,970 women and 450 men in the United States will die from breast cancer this year. It is projected that 230,480 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in 2011. About 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer in her life, but the odds of a woman succumbing to this disease have decreased to 1 in 35. Mortality rates have been slowly dropping since 1990 as medical advancements are made and screenings have become more prevalent. Simply put, early detection is the key.

In Missouri, the General Assembly passed legislation in 2006 creating the Show-Me Healthy Women Program, designed to reduce the number of breast cancer and cervical cancer cases in our state by providing free breast and cervical cancer screenings to age- and income-eligible women. It can’t be said too many times — early detection is critical. When caught early, the five-year relative survival rate for breast cancer victims is greater than 95 percent. The program’s services are provided at more than 165 sites throughout Missouri by doctors’ offices, community health centers, university-based teaching institutions, hospitals and clinics. Women between the ages of 35 and 64, who are uninsured or underinsured, and meet the income guidelines, can contact Show-Me Healthy Women by phone at 573-522-2845, by e-mail atinfo@dhss.mo.gov, or online at www.dhss.mo.gov/BreastCervCancer to find the nearest provider and learn more about potential eligibility and making an appointment for these free or low-cost early detection screening services.

Although scientists are working on treatments, there is nothing that can prevent breast cancer. However, steps can be taken to decrease the risk and increase the odds that, should a woman be diagnosed with breast cancer, it can be caught at an early, more treatable, stage. It is imperative to perform regular self-exams, begin getting mammograms at 50, and consult with your physician regularly, as each of these can spur early detection. Many breast cancer risk factors cannot be altered — like gender, genetics, age, or family history — but other factors that lead to breast cancer can be reduced by simply limiting alcohol use, exercising regularly and maintaining a healthy weight. I urge everyone to make this extra effort — it could potentially save your or a loved one’s life.

For more information about breast cancer, including resources for breast cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers, visit the American Cancer Society’s website at www.cancer.org.

This subject is one that is close to my heart. I lost my mother, Loneta Pearce, to breast cancer in 1990. Through education and early detection, I hope to help reduce the number of lives affected in the future.

As always, please feel free to contact me or my staff with any questions or concerns at any time. We look forward to hearing your comments and suggestions and trying to answer any questions you may have. You can reach us by phone at 866-277-0882 (toll-free) or 573-751-2272, or by fax at 573-526-7381.

Senator David Pearce serves Bates, Cass, Johnson and Vernon counties in the 31st State Senatorial District.