WHEREAS, Breast Cancer Awareness Month provides an important opportunity to increase awareness of breast cancer and encourage individuals to prioritize early detection through appropriate screening and regular discussions with their health care providers; and

 

WHEREAS, breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women in the United States, following skin cancer; and

 

WHEREAS, breast cancer is approximately 100 times more common in women than in men, with about one in eight women expected to be diagnosed during their lifetime, and the risk of diagnosis increasing with age; and

 

WHEREAS, approximately five to ten percent of breast cancers are hereditary, and individuals with a family history of breast cancer should consult a health care provider about appropriate prevention, screening, and early detection strategies; and

 

WHEREAS, advances in early detection and timely diagnosis have contributed to a five-year breast cancer survival rate of nearly 90 percent, while early detection remains essential to expanding treatment options and improving outcomes for individuals affected by the disease; and

 

WHEREAS, the Commonwealth of Virginia remains committed to ensuring that Virginians affected by breast cancer have access to affordable, quality care while supporting research into all forms of breast cancer;

 

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Abigail D. Spanberger, Governor, do hereby recognize October 2026 as BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH in the COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of all our citizens.