October 1, 2025

Breast Cancer Month: Resources to Help Older Adults

By Colleen Scott, NYSOFA Advocacy Specialist

Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed among women in the United States after skin cancer and is the second leading cause of cancer death among women after lung cancer, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Medical professionals stress the importance of being vigilant about breast cancer detection. Examine yourself regularly and contact your doctor with any concerns. Be diligent about annual exams and mammograms.

The following can also help decrease your risk of developing breast cancer:

  1. Limit alcohol.
  2. Don't smoke.
  3. Control your weight.
  4. Be physically active.
  5. Research suggests that a history of breast-feeding may be associated with a lower risk.
  6. According to the Mayo Clinic, limit dose and duration of hormone therapy.
  7. Avoid exposure to radiation and environmental pollution
     

Minorities and the poor continue to bear disproportionate burden of cancer particularly in terms of diagnosis, incidence and mortality.

Did you know?

  • 50% of those without health insurance had a screening mammogram in the past two years.
  • 72% of those with Medicaid or other public health insurance had a screening mammogram in the past two years.
  • 83% of those with private health insurance had a screening mammogram in the past two years.
  • African American women are more likely than white women to die of breast cancer. The mortality gap is widening as the incidence in African American women is increasing.
  • African American women are nearly twice as likely as white women to be diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer which is more aggressive and harder to treat than other subtypes of breast cancer.
  • Many studies point to the disparities in diagnosis for late-stage cancers. African American women are diagnosed at stage 3 at a higher rate than other racial/ethnic groups. African American, Asian, Pacific Islanders, American Indian and Hispanic women are all diagnosed at stage 2 at a higher rate than white women. The time of diagnosis is crucial; survival rates are 100% at stages 0 and 1, 93% at stage 2 and 72% at stage 3.

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