Dear Editor: As this is national Breast Cancer Awareness month, I would like to ask all candidates for election this year to make breast cancer a priority and fight to keep life-saving breast health programs.
Did you know that every day, 567 women are diagnosed with breast cancer?
While we've made great strides in the past year, the fact remains that too many women are unable to access life-saving cancer screenings and we continue to lose too many of our loved ones to this horrible disease.
In 2006, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. My treatment was excellent, but I am lucky enough to have a good medical plan. Throughout that horrible year, I was able to concentrate on healing myself and not on where the money for my treatment was coming from.
I cannot imagine the stress of not being able to afford basic screening tests, much less being given the devastating diagnosis of cancer and having no way to pay for treatment.
I feel that, as election day draws closer, it is imperative that those we send to Congress express their commitment for discovering the cures for breast cancer and that candidates commit themselves to fighting for the rights of breast cancer patients and survivors everywhere.
All women in the U.S. have a right to timely, affordable, highquality breast health services.
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