Breast and Cervical Cancer

Mammograms save lives. But, even today, too many women don't have access to lifesaving breast and cervical cancer screenings.

We are working in Congress and in every state legislature to ensure funding for the federal cancer screening and early detection program that has already helped millions of women and saved thousands of lives.

More than 40,000 women will die from breast cancer this year, while over 13,000 will be diagnosed with cervical cancer.  We're working to convince Congress to increase funding for breast and cervical cancer research that could lead to new medical breakthroughs and save more lives.

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Congress: Increase Funding For Lifesaving Cancer Screening Programs

The National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) is a critical safety net to ensure that all eligible individuals – no matter where they live or how little money they make – can get a free or inexpensive breast or cervical cancer screening. But today, the program doesn’t have enough funding to serve everyone who needs it.

Latest Updates

October 23, 2023
Hawaii

Uri Martos’ first experience with cancer was when her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer during her sophomore yea r of college, in 1998. Thankfully, after a mastectomy and chemotherapy, her mother is still surviving and thriving to this day. Because of her mother’s cancer, Uri joined a high-risk cancer

August 4, 2023
Pennsylvania

HARRISBURG, PA – AUGUST 4, 2023 – Yesterday, the Pennsylvania Legislature passed and Governor Shapiro certified the 2023-24 budget—the contents of which communicate to all Pennsylvanians that their health is a priority. To mark this important step, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) responded with the following

June 16, 2023
National

Today, President Biden nominated Dr. Mandy Cohen to serve as the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The role is critical to leading data collection and implementing evidence-based interventions that reduce cancer incidence and mortality including informing state tobacco prevention and cessation programs and preventive screening programs like the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program that improves early detection.

Breast and Cervical Cancer Resources

Approximately 1 in 8 women (13%) will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in her lifetime, and 1 in 39 women (3%) will die from breast cancer. In 2023, an estimated 297,790 women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer, and 43,170 will die from the disease. Despite the fact that U.S. breast cancer death rates have been declining for several decades, not all people have benefited equally from the advances in prevention, early detection, and treatments that have helped achieve these lower rates.

Our ability to continue to make progress against cancer relies heavily on eliminating inequities that exist in breast cancer prevention and treatment. That is why ACS CAN advocates for policies to reduce the disparities in breast cancer by improving access to prevention and early detection services, patient navigation services, insurance coverage, in-network facilities, and clinical trials.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) is highly effective at detecting and treating breast and cervical cancer in low-income, uninsured, and underinsured women – who may otherwise not be screened. The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) urges Congress to reauthorize this critical program by passing the Screening for Communities to Receive Early and Equitable Needed Services (SCREENS) for Cancer Act.