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Senate Resolution

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A resolution recognizing October 2008 as "Breast Cancer

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Awareness Month" in Florida.

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     WHEREAS, breast cancer is the third most frequently

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diagnosed cancer and is ranked third among cancer deaths in

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women in the United States, and

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          WHEREAS, Florida ranks second in the nation for total number

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of breast cancer deaths and fourth in the nation for total number

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of new breast cancer cases, and

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     WHEREAS, all women are at risk for breast cancer and the

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single most important risk factor is age, such that breast

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cancers predominantly occur in women age 50 and older, and the

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risk increases with age until age 80, and

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     WHEREAS, the American Cancer Society estimates that more

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than 11,850 new cases of invasive breast cancer in Florida will

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be diagnosed, and approximately 2,760 women will die of the

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disease, during the year 2008, and

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     WHEREAS, a woman living in Florida has a one-in-eight chance

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of developing breast cancer, and

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     WHEREAS, breast cancer is the second most common cause of

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cancer death in white, African American, Asian American, and

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American Indian women, and the first most common among Hispanic

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women living in the United States, and

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     WHEREAS, early detection, through routine clinical exams and

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mammography screening beginning at age 40 in compliance with the

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American Cancer Society recommended guidelines, is the key to

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detecting breast cancer at its earliest stages, and

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     WHEREAS, the 5-year survival rate for breast cancer, if the

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disease is found in its earliest stages, is 98 percent, but drops

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down to 26.7 percent if the cancer is detected late, in a stage

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of metastases, and

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     WHEREAS, in conjunction with the promotion of October as

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"Breast Cancer Awareness Month," breast cancer awareness

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programs, such as the American Cancer Society's Reach to Recovery

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program, will promote early breast cancer detection through

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regular screening, NOW, THEREFORE,

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Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida:

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     That the Florida Senate recognizes the month of October 2008

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as "Breast Cancer Awareness Month" in Florida and urges all women

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to understand the risks associated with breast cancer, to take

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preventive steps to minimize those risks, and to undergo early

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detection procedures such as mammography and compliance with the

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American Cancer Society's recommended breast cancer screening

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guidelines.