ANNAPOLIS, MD - Annapolis City Hall and the City’s Gorman Street offices facing Main Street will be lit pink on the weekend of Oct. 22-24 to show support for survivors and to raise awareness of the importance of screening during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The City reminds residents that Breast Cancer is one of the most common cancers for women and the second leading cause of cancer death among women overall. Regular screenings and early detection can save a life!
“During the pandemic, many women postponed preventive health screenings, including mammograms,” said Anne Arundel County Health Officer Dr. Nilesh Kalyanaraman, who is also the health officer for Annapolis. “Now is the time to call and schedule that appointment.”
For uninsured residents, the Anne Arundel County Department of Health’s Cancer Screening Services program may be able to help with no-cost clinical breast exams, mammograms, and treatment. To find out about eligibility for this program, call the Anne Arundel County Department of Health’s Cancer Screening Services at 410-222-6180. Nurse navigators can schedule your appointment, arrange for transportation, and reimburse health providers for diagnostic and treatment services.
In addition to the lighting of City buildings, both the Annapolis Fire and Police departments sold specially designed T-shirts in October to bring awareness and as a fundraiser.
Fire Chief Douglas Remaley approved City firefighters to wear the AFD Breast Cancer Awareness t-shirts in lieu of normal duty tees. This year’s AFD t-shirts featured the Chesapeake Bay landmark, the Thomas Point Lighthouse. Sales of the shirts in 2019 and 2020 funded an $8,900 donation to the Rebecca Fortney Breast Center at Anne Arundel Medical Center.
Annapolis Police Chief Edward Jackson also greenlit a police version, with Officer Matthew Pfau creating the artwork for the 2021 shirts. Funds from the sales of those t-shirts also support the Rebecca Fortney Breast Center at Anne Arundel Medical Center
City Manager David Jarrell is encouraging City staff to wear their AFD or APD tees or to wear pink on Friday, Oct. 22 to honor the numerous City staff and their family members who have fought breast cancer diagnoses over the years.
Here are a few breast cancer facts from breastcancer.org:
- About one in eight women will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime
- In 2020, an estimated 276,480 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in women in the U.S., along with 48,530 new cases of non-invasive breast cancer
- About 2,620 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in men in 2020. A man’s lifetime risk of breast cancer is about 1 in 883.
- About 42,170 women in the U.S. are expected to die in 2020 from breast cancer.
- The overall death rate from breast cancer decreased by 1.3 percent per year from 2013 to 2017. These decreases are thought to be the result of treatment advances and earlier detection through screening.
In women under 45, breast cancer is more common in Black women than white women. Overall, Black women are more likely to die of breast cancer.
A woman’s risk of breast cancer nearly doubles if she has a first-degree relative (mother, sister, daughter) who has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Less than 15% of women who get breast cancer have a family member diagnosed with it.
About 85% of breast cancers occur in women who have no family history of breast cancer.
For more than 30 years, pink has been associated with breast cancer and breast cancer prevention and awareness. Initially, pink ribbons were used to raise awareness that of the $1.8 billion National Cancer Institute’s annual budget, only five percent went for cancer prevention.
