Donald M. Payne Jr. for Congressman: Hosts Breast Cancer Town Hall to Raise Awareness and Help Patients and Survivors

Media Contact:  Patrick Wright   --  Patrick.Wright@mail.house.gov

Washington, D.C. — Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr. hosted a virtual town hall today to provide breast cancer resources for survivors, patients and supporters.  Rep. Payne, Jr.’s “Let’s Talk Breast Cancer Virtual Town Hall” discussed facts about the disease and the importance of early breast cancer screenings, called mammograms.  Then town hall attendees heard from a panel of experts regarding breast cancer that included three survivors, a patient, and a local doctor with more than 30 years of experience treating breast cancer patients.  The town hall was scheduled in October because the month is designated National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

“I hosted this event to raise awareness of breast cancer and encourage my constituents to schedule a screening,” said Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr.  “It was easy to delay screenings due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  But now it is time to reschedule them.  Breast cancer ranks second in cancer fatalities for women.  The more information and resources we can provide people who are at risk for breast cancer, the more lives we can save.”

The panelists talked about resources available to patients with breast cancer and discussed how early detection saves lives.  This year, more than 280,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and more than 43,000 women will die from it.  These numbers are worse for minority women.  The death rate from breast cancer for African-American and Latina women is more than 30 percent higher than the rate for white women.  Overall, one in every eight women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime.  In addition, more than 2,600 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer and more than 500 will die from it.  But there is good news about the disease.  The five-year survival rate can be higher than 90 percent with early detection and breast cancer death rates have declined 41 percent since 1991.

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