1Recognizing October 2014 as "National Breast Cancer Awareness
2Month" in Pennsylvania and recognizing October 17, 2014, as
3"National Mammography Day" in Pennsylvania to promote
4awareness of breast cancer issues and encourage women and men
5to take action to protect themselves against breast cancer.

6WHEREAS, The American Cancer Society helped found National
7Breast Cancer Awareness Month in 1985; and

8WHEREAS, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month has evolved
9into a collaboration of national public service organizations,
10professional medical associations and government agencies
11working together to promote breast cancer awareness, share
12information on the disease and provide greater access to
13services; and

14WHEREAS, Since its inception 29 years ago, the National
15Breast Cancer Awareness Month effort has stood at the forefront

1of promoting awareness of breast cancer issues, yet much remains
2to be done to educate both women and men about breast cancer
3health in order for them to become empowered to take charge of
4their health through practicing regular breast self-exams to
5identify changes, scheduling regular doctor visits and
6mammograms as recommended, adhering to prescribed treatment and
7knowing the facts about recurrence; and

8WHEREAS, An important part of raising awareness involves
9helping people understand the importance of screening and
10detecting cancer in the early stages so that early treatment can
11occur, which will increase survival rates and healing and
12decrease suffering; and

13WHEREAS, A mammogram serves as a screening test for breast
14cancer that can detect such cancer early; and

15WHEREAS, Screening for breast cancer for women 40 years of
16age and older through mammograms helps ensure early detection of
17breast cancer; and

18WHEREAS, National Mammography Day has existed since 1993 when
19President Bill Clinton first proclaimed the third Friday of
20October as "National Mammography Day" to encourage women,
21particularly those in high risk groups, to make a mammography
22appointment during the month of October during National Breast
23Cancer Awareness Month; and

24WHEREAS, Raising breast cancer awareness remains an important
25issue because the American Cancer Society estimates that in the
26United States during 2014 approximately 232,670 new cases of
27invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women and about
2840,430 women will die from breast cancer, while about 2,360 new
29cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in men, and
30about 430 men will die from breast cancer; therefore be it

1RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize October
22014 as "National Breast Cancer Awareness Month" in
3Pennsylvania; and be it further

4RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize October
517, 2014, as "National Mammography Day" in Pennsylvania; and be
6it further

7RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives urge all women
8and men in this Commonwealth to have discussions with their
9doctors about breast cancer, particularly about the value of
10getting screened for breast cancer, especially if possible signs
11of breast cancer through personal examination or otherwise are
12detected; and be it further

13RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives encourage women
14in this Commonwealth 40 years of age and older to talk with
15their doctors about when to start getting annual mammograms and
16urge women between 50 and 74 years of age to recognize the
17benefit of undergoing mammograms every two years; and be it
18further

19RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives urge citizens to
20take action during the month of October and at times throughout
21the year to help people remain informed about the incidence of
22breast cancer in this Commonwealth and elsewhere and how
23residents of this Commonwealth can protect themselves from the
24disease and take proper action if breast cancer develops.