The State of Breast Cancer

Kansas City, MO. - Over the course of a lifetime, one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. Every 69 seconds a woman dies from this disease. But with annual mammography screenings, we can catch breast cancer early when it is the most treatable. If breast cancer is caught before it spreads beyond the breast, the five-year survival rate in the U.S. is 98%. Unfortunately, a recent community needs assessment on breast health conducted by Susan G. Komen for the Cure® Greater Kansas City found that nearly 38% of women (40 and older) living in the Kansas City area did not have a screening mammogram in the last 12 months.

Every two years, Susan G. Komen for the Cure® Greater Kansas City conducts a Community Profile, which assesses the impact that breast cancer has on our community. The 2011 Community Profile was completed through a partnership with the University of Kansas. This comprehensive study utilizes quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis to pinpoint where outreach efforts will have the most impact on breast health. The results identified the needs surrounding breast health in the Greater Kansas City area.

The Greater Kansas City Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure serves a community of more than 2.2 million people across a 17-county area, including Northeast Kansas and Northwest Missouri; over 500,000 of these residents are women over age 40. In 2011, the Greater Kansas City Affiliate has committed to distribute nearly $917,000 to 18 agencies which will provide education, screening and treatment services in the service area, primarily to women who would otherwise receive no such benefits.

To learn about the results of the 2011 Community Profile, please click here.