Oct. 4, 2021 – For the second year in a row, members of the Oak Park Police Department are showing support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October by wearing special pink patches throughout the month in support of survivors and those currently facing the disease.
The highly visible patches help bring attention to the importance of early detection, an issue the Oak Park Public Health Department is working to highlight by sharing a local resource available to help fight the disease.
During the month of October, residents of Oak Park, River Forest or Proviso Township can receive a mammogram for no cost at Rush Oak Park Hospital. To register for your free mammogram, call 708.660.2355.
Breast cancer is one of the most common kinds of cancer in women after skin cancer. About 1 in 8 women in the United States will get breast cancer at some point in their lives.
The good news is that most people can survive breast cancer if it’s found and treated early. Public health officials recommend that people take the following steps:
- Woman age 40 to 49, talk with your doctor about when to start getting mammograms and how often to get them.
- Woman age 50 to 74, be sure to get a mammogram every two years. You may also choose to get them more often.
- Transgender women, talk with a doctor about the risk of breast cancer following breast development and five years of hormone therapy.
- Transgender men, talk with a doctor about the risk of developing breast cancer in any remaining breast/chest tissue.
Officials recommend talking to a doctor about the risk for breast cancer, especially if a close family member had breast or ovarian cancer. Doctors can then help decide when and how often to get mammograms.
For more information about breast cancer risk and prevention, visit the American Cancer Society website.
For more information about the Oak Park Public Health Department, visit www.oak-park.us/health, email health@oak-park.us or call 708.358.5480.