Breast Cancer Awareness Month, 2017

WHEREAS, breast cancer is the second most common cancer in women after skin cancer; and

WHEREAS, this year, 11,300 women in Pennsylvania will learn for the first time that they have breast cancer, and about 2,000 women will lose their lives to breast cancer; and

WHEREAS, every woman has some degree of risk for developing breast cancer and the risk of breast cancer increases as a woman gets older; and

WHEREAS, while there are no public health interventions which will prevent breast cancer from occurring, early detection through regular mammography, clinical breast examinations, and breast self-examinations can improve treatment outcomes and significantly reduce the number of deaths resulting from this devastating disease; and

WHEREAS, in Pennsylvania, 3D mammograms are covered under insurance at no extra cost, offering new opportunities for physicians to diagnose breast cancer and provide life-saving treatment earlier than ever; and

WHEREAS, the Pennsylvania Departments of Health and Human Services offer programs for women who are uninsured or underinsured to receive free breast cancer screenings and treatments; and

WHEREAS, the Commonwealth is committed to protecting women’s health, preserving families and saving lives by continuing to create greater public understanding of breast cancer and the need for early detection and continuing research.

THEREFORE, I, Tom Wolf, Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, do hereby proclaim October 2017, as BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH in recognition and support of the patients, families, and professionals leading the fight against breast cancer. I encourage all residents to join the fight against breast cancer in the commonwealth.

GIVEN under my hand and the Seal of the Governor, at the City of Harrisburg, this sixteenth day of October two thousand seventeen, the year of the commonwealth the two hundred forty-second.

TOM WOLF
Governor

Read full text of the letter below. You can also view the letter on Scribd and as a PDF.

Governor Wolf Proclamation — Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2017 by Governor Tom Wolf on Scribd

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