JACKSON – The Mississippi State Department of Health is encouraging women to keep up with regular breast cancer screenings during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, pointing to the state’s low screening rates and high breast cancer death rate.
According to MSDH, about 400 women in Mississippi die from breast cancer each year, while more than 2,300 new cases are diagnosed.
Health officials said mammograms can detect breast cancer before a lump or other symptoms appear.
“Breast Cancer Awareness Month is a powerful reminder that early detection saves lives,” said Amy Gibbons, director of the Breast and Cervical Cancer Program and Comprehensive Cancer Control Program.
MSDH said some women face a higher risk of breast cancer, including women over age 50, those with a mother or sister who has had breast cancer, women who are overweight and those who have no children or had children after age 30.
Black women are also more likely than women of other racial and ethnic groups to die from breast cancer, according to MSDH.
Officials are reminding women not to wait for a routine mammogram if they notice changes such as a lump, nipple discharge or changes in breast shape or skin. Those symptoms should be reported to a health care provider as soon as possible.
MSDH also recommends that women know their personal and family history and talk with their health care provider about when screening should begin and whether additional screening may be needed.
The department’s annual screening event is being held Oct. 22. Registration has closed, but eli
