Breast Cancer Awareness Month

WHEREAS, the 2.9 million breast cancer survivors living in the United States today are a testament to the importance of promoting awareness about breast cancer; and

WHEREAS, breast cancer affects both women and men; in the United States, an estimated 234,580 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in 2013; in Alabama, an estimated 3,720 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in 2013; and

WHEREAS, in the United States, a woman receives a diagnosis of breast cancer every two minutes, and every 14 minutes a woman in America dies of breast cancer; an estimated 40,030 people will die from breast cancer in 2013; and

WHEREAS, breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer among women and can be attributed to many factors, including age, genetics, obesity and family history; and

WHEREAS, breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, exceeded only by lung cancer; and

WHEREAS, women who exercise regularly, maintain healthy diets and have yearly visits with their doctors are less likely to get breast cancer; and

WHEREAS, various screening measures such as mammograms, regular breast self-exams and clinical breast exams can help detect cancer before it has a chance to spread; and

WHEREAS, mammograms are among the best early detection methods, yet 13 million women in the United States 40 years of age and older have never had a mammogram; and

WHEREAS, early detection allows for early intervention, helps make treatment more effective, gives hope to patients and saves lives; and

WHEREAS, throughout the month of October, we honor those who are currently battling breast cancer, those who have survived breast cancer and those who have lost the fight to breast cancer:

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Robert Bentley, Governor of Alabama, do hereby proclaim the month of October 2013 as

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

in the state of Alabama.