United States Mission to the United Nations
Office of Press and Public Diplomacy
For Immediate Release
October 27, 2023
Statement by Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield on Breast Cancer Awareness Month
October has been recognized in the United States as breast cancer awareness month for forty years. It is a time for us to raise awareness of the disease and to support programs that provide life-saving research and support.
Breast cancer is a very important issue to me. On April 1, 2010, I was diagnosed with stage 0 breast cancer. After a lumpectomy and radiation, I am 12 years cancer free.
Getting a mammogram is one of the most effective screening tests for cancer available, and with 1 in 8 women likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, it is always important to get screened regularly. I encourage all women to take charge of their health and talk to their healthcare provider about mammograms and ways they can reduce their risk of getting breast cancer.
Starting from Friday evening, I am honored to have the United States Mission to the UN’s building lit up in pink through the weekend in solidarity with breast cancer awareness month.
Women have the right to live full, enriched lives. We cannot let breast cancer stand in the way of that. This month, and every month, the United States will continue to support breast cancer awareness, research, and treatment. We call on all to join us in doing so.
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