Saint Paul, MN – For more than two decades, the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month has educated women about breast cancer, especially the importance of detecting the disease in its earliest stages through screening mammography, clinical breast examination, and for women 20 years of age and older, breast self-examination.

Today, Rep. Betty McCollum (MN-04) issued the following statement recognizing the importance of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month:

“Early detection and treatment are vital for the more than 211,000 women who are diagnosed with breast cancer each year.  Breast Cancer Awareness Month provides an important opportunity for all Americans to learn what they can do beat this disease, including mammograms and self-examinations.

“Life-saving breakthroughs depend on the investments our nation makes in research.  Scientific advances made by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in the treatment of breast cancer and many other debilitating diseases are vital and deserve funding support from Congress and the President. 

“As an advocate for education and public health, I am proud to be a cosponsor of the Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Act (H.R. 2331), which would require the Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to provide grants for the creation of eight centers to conduct multidisciplinary research on the environmental factors that may be related to the causes of breast cancer.

“This month, I encourage everyone to join their sister, mother, daughter, or granddaughter in raising breast cancer awareness, providing access to screening services, and scheduling their mammogram.”

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