Welcome to the Mission Matters Blog for October. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Please join us for our Mission Matters conference call. Tuesday, October 16, 2007. Conference calls are at Noon Eastern and 8:30 PM Eastern. Please call:
1-800-910-2399
Passcode - 487160
For more information on the Mission Matters call, click here.

Some Matter of Facts on Breast Cancer
This year, 178,480 women and about 2,030 men in the United States will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer and nearly 41,000 women and men will die from the disease. However, mammography rates are declining in the United States. Not enough women have access to lifesaving screening and treatment.

Fighting Back against breast cancer starts with taking control of your breast health
• Breast cancer generally can be successfully treated if it is found early.
• All women 40 and older should get a mammogram every year.
• All women should follow the Society's recommended screening guidelines, which include recommendations for women at high risk, such as those with personal or family history or genetic tendency.
• Sign up for a free email mammogram reminder at www.cancer.org/MammogramReminder

Hope Starts with everyone fighting back against cancer
Visit cancer.org/breastcancer to learn how you can join the fight:
• I can visit www.RelayForLife.org to learn ways I can Fight Back against Breast Cancer.
• I can walk in Making Strides Against Breast Cancer.
• I can volunteer to help patients in your community.
• I can enroll in research studies like the Sister Study and Cancer Prevention Study-3 to help researchers better understand the factors that cause and prevent cancer.
• I can visit www.acscan.org to learn ways I can get involved with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network.

Fighting Back Against Breast Cancer starts with taking control of your breast health
• Breast cancer generally can be successfully treated if it is found early.
• All women 40 and older should get a mammogram every year.
• All women should follow the Society's recommended screening guidelines, which include recommendations for women at high risk, such as those with personal or family history or genetic tendency.
• Sign up for a free email mammogram reminder at cancer.org/MammogramReminder

We Are Making Strides Through Advocacy

Did you know that our government is only providing enough funding for 1 in every 5 eligible women to be screened for breast cancer and other life threatening diseases through the community based breast and cervical cancer screening program run by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). So, what about the other 4?

It means that millions of women are currently going without the screening and treatment they need and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) is currently trying to change those odds. Over 18,000 petition postcards were sent out to Making Strides Against Breast Cancer breakfast and kickoff events nationwide for volunteers to sign. Every one of these signed postcards is currently being delivered to Senators during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, urging them for more funding for the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP).

It's October, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the time is now to take action which could save millions of lives. Visit www.acscan.org/makingstrides to take action and tell your lawmakers current funding levels of the lifesaving NBCCEDP are unacceptable.

Help us ensure that all women have access to lifesaving mammograms and treatment services by visiting www.acscan.org/makingstrides today!

For more information about breast cancer, screening guidelines, treatment, and programs to support people facing breast cancer, please visit www.cancer.org