Chicago – October 3, 2002 – The National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) campaign and its 19 board of sponsor members maintain that a breast self-examination (BSE) is important in determining changes in the breast that require women to see their healthcare provider for further evaluation.

The Journal of the National Cancer Institute recently published the results of a Chinese study discouraging women from practicing breast self exams, citing a BSE may not reduce the risk of death from breast cancer. Coverage of the story has been confusing and may mislead women to neglect practicing good breast health.

NBCAM recognizes that while a breast self-exam alone may not reduce a woman’s chance of developing breast cancer, it is part of practicing good breast health and helps women become familiar with their bodies, increasing the chance for early detection.

NBCAM is committed to increasing breast cancer awareness and reminding women of the importance of early breast cancer detection.


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Education about options for breast health is important. Women should
be informed so that they can make educated choices about breast health.
Resources such as the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month Campaign provide information on its Web site, www.nbcam.org. The site searches the sites of the Board of Sponsors, a group of 19 national public service organizations, professional associations and government
agencies including the American Cancer Society, the National Cancer Institute and the AstraZeneca Healthcare Foundation. The most up-to-date and accurate information on breast cancer, as well as links to patient advocacy, medical, professional and government
organizations are available on the Web site.

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MOST UNLIKELY FOURSOME WITH UNUSUAL MESSAGE BECOME HIP-HOP "STARS"

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) Campaign Features Diverse Breast Cancer Survivors Rapping About Early Detection

Chicago, IL - September 23, 2002. What do four post-menopausal women dancing around a stage performing a rap style song have in common? They are all breast cancer survivors and a culturally diverse group of "stars" of a public service announcement (PSA) about breast cancer detection. The centerpiece of this year's national campaign for the Board of Sponsors of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) features this clever and unlikely quartet spreading the word about how early detection saves lives.

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM). This month and throughout the year, 19 Board of Sponsors of NBCAM are committed to ongoing education about options for breast health and helping women become more informed so that they can make educated choices about breast health.

As part of NBCAM's annual October celebration of breast cancer awareness, the organization will focus on busting the barriers that prevent women from obtaining mammography screening. Not all-eligible women are having mammography screening and this is particularly true of older women (who are most at risk for breast cancer), uneducated women, minority women, the medically under-served, and those who live in rural areas.

"I am very proud to be part of this year's NBCAM public service announcement," said Judy Perotti, Director of Patient Services at Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization by day and would-be hip-hop gal by night. "This rap video is creative and entertaining, but more importantly it sends women a very important message that early breast cancer detection saves lives."

The focus of the NBCAM campaign centers on how early detection helps to save lives and that the best tools to achieve early detection of breast cancer are mammography screening and clinical breast examinations. NBCAM encourages women to do breast self-examination beginning at age 20, and report any unusual changes they find to their health care provider.

A labor of love for all involved, stage space and talent coaching was donated by The Chicago Shakespeare Theater and Cleetus Friedman, star of a recent hip-hop production of Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors called "Bombity of Errors". Friedman joined the four breast cancer survivors to offer a male perspective about encouraging women to seek out information and learn more. Initial indications from television stations throughout the country is that the PSA will make it into the October rotation so that thousands of women will be encouraged to obtain mammograms and clinical breast examinations.

ABOUT NBCAM

The NBCAM Board of Sponsors is comprised of 19 national public service organizations, professional medical associations, and government agencies working in partnership to raise awareness and provide access to screening services. This program depends on the efforts of NBCAM Program Leaders around the country to reach women where they live, work, play and worship with messages about breast health and breast cancer.

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View NBCAM PSA

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