MAYBROOK- Today, there are more breast cancer survivors in the U.S. than ever before – 4 million and counting. This is largely due to early detection and improved treatments. Adherence to the American Cancer Society’s guidelines on regular screening could catch cancer early when it may be easier to treat. To improve screening rates in the Lower Hudson Valley, the American Cancer Society’s “Grab Your Girls” campaign encourages women to hold each other accountable for getting screened by making it a group activity.
“Breast cancer screening saves lives, but we know sometimes scheduling screening doesn’t make it to the To Do list,” said Natasha Coleman, vice president, Community Impact, American Cancer Society. “We launched ‘Grab Your Girls’ to inspire women to connect with their friends, sisters, mother, aunts, and anyone else who is 45 and older, schedule a date and get screened. Making it a group activity whether you’re in the same town or across the country keeps everyone accountable for getting it done and allows for a little group celebration.”
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among U.S. women after skin cancer. It is also the second leading cause of cancer death in women, but the leading cause of cancer death among Black and Hispanic women.
“Current five-year survival rates for female breast cancer are 91 percent,” said Coleman. “That’s a huge jump from what we saw 40 years ago when it was 75 percent or even 25 years ago when it was 87 percent.”
The ACS recommends annual breast cancer screening for those at average risk beginning at age 45 with the option to begin at age 40. Factors such as family history, genetics and lifestyle choices can influence when screening should start and how often someone should get screened.
Bobbie Sue Jurgens, a breast cancer survivor of Maybrook, encourages her friends and female family members to get screened. She was diagnosed with Stage 1 breast cancer in March 2021.
“Bobbie Sue came in one morning, started crying and told us all we must go for our mammograms because she was just diagnosed and had to start treatment,” said Linda LaRosa, who recently retired as Deputy Village Clerk in Maybrook.
LaRosa, whose husband had medical issues for several years, “put herself on the back burner” and hadn’t had a mammogram for five years.
“I took Bobbie Sue’s words to heart and made an appointment with my primary doctor in 2021,” added LaRosa.
That appointment would lead to a diagnosis of Triple-Negative breast cancer for LaRosa. From 2021-2022, she underwent a lumpectomy and chemotherapy, but is now cancer-free.
“I am on a mission to tell everyone I know to get screened and get a mammogram,” said Bobbie Sue Jurgens, whose team, Brigade for Better Boobs, who walked to raise funds for breast cancer at the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer/Hudson Valley at Woodbury Common on Sunday, October 15, 2023.
Grab Your Girls Campaign
To join the “Grab Your Girls” movement, make your next group gathering a self-care celebration:
- Invite your friend, sister, cousin, mother, grandmother, or coworker to look at calendars and choose four or five days that would be free for screening.
- Nominate one group lead who will call the nearest screening location to schedule the appointments or ask everyone to schedule their own appointment at the screening location near them.
- Decide what to do together before or after screening. You can have a great meal, go on a hike, or bike ride, check out a movie, get a pedicure, or schedule a virtual meet up, anything the group would enjoy.
- Schedule next year’s screening before you leave the screening location.
For more information and resources, go to cancer.org/get-screened.
