Thirteen women received medical orders for mammograms through an Austin County breast cancer awareness program designed to encourage early detection and help connect women with screening services.
The Friend-to-Friend Breast Cancer Awareness Program was held Oct. 13 through a partnership involving the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, the Texas Department of State Health Services and community members. The mammograms are scheduled to be conducted in November through The Rose, a Houston-based nonprofit that provides breast health services.
The program offered information about breast health and breast cancer risks, demonstrated breast self-examination techniques and helped participants access screening. It is especially valuable for women who face financial or other barriers to preventive health care.
The need for early detection remains significant. The American Cancer Society estimates that about 321,910 women in the United States will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in 2026, and about 42,140 women will die from the disease.
National Cancer Institute data show how strongly survival is associated with the stage at diagnosis. For women diagnosed from 2016 through 2022, the five-year relative survival rate was 100% when breast cancer was localized, 87.5% when it had spread to nearby lymph nodes or structures, and 33.8% when it had spread to distant parts of the body.
These figures describe outcomes across groups of patients; they cannot predict an individual person’s outcome. They do show why finding cancer before it spreads can matter. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that more than 99% of women whose breast cancer is found at a localized stage are alive five years after diagnosis.
Mammograms can find breast cancer before symptoms appear. Women can talk with a health care provider about screening based on their age, health history and personal risk. Anyone who notices a new breast change should contact a health care provider, even if a recent mammogram was normal.
Through education, community partnerships and access to screening, the Friend-to-Friend program encourages women to make breast health a priority and take steps toward early detection.
