Breast Cancer Screening Urged

By E.B. SOLOMONT, Staff Reporter of the Sun
May 8, 2008

As part of a yearlong women's health campaign and to mark Mother's Day on Sunday, Speaker Christine Quinn is urging New York City women to get screened for breast cancer.

Breast cancer is a leading cause of death for women, Ms. Quinn said yesterday outside Macy's, which in honor of Mother's Day, will post signs at registers and in dressing rooms reminding women to get annual mammograms. She was joined by officials from Telemundo 47 WNJU, the American-Italian Cancer Foundation, and the cosmetics company Estée Lauder, which plans to distribute 100,000 breast cancer awareness ribbons at Macy's registers.

"The most important step in combating this deadly disease is getting continuously screened," Ms. Quinn said in a statement. "The earlier cancer is detected, the better chance women have in beating it."

City health officials said breast cancer is the second-most common cause of death among New York City women. In 2005, the city's health department reported, 1,254 New York City women died of breast cancer.

A separate event, scheduled for tomorrow, also stresses the benefits of mammograms.

Outside Hunter College, a mobile mammography unit will offer free breast cancer screenings. The event is sponsored by Fujifilm, the National Breast Cancer Foundation, and the American-Italian Cancer Foundation.