In honor of October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) is calling on individuals to embrace education and early detection as primary mechanisms to fight the disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, breast cancer is the second-most common cancer among women in the U.S. and at the top of new cancer cases reported in New York in 2016.

“As we all come together to emphasize our constant fight against breast cancer this month, it is critical to impart on the public that early detection is the key to beating this disease,” Hawley said. “There are countless state and local programs, support groups and resources available to the public including through the Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester (BCCR) as well as a free screening program that is part of state law to cover ineligible or uninsured women.”

For more information on the state program or to find a screening location, click here.

On October 23, BCCR will host its annual “Lives Touched, Lives Celebrated” event which pays tribute to all the women and men who have been diagnosed with breast cancer and includes a candlelight walk, music and poetry. For more information, visit the BCCR Web site.