ENROLLED JOINT RESOLUTION
Relating to: proclaiming the months of October 2025 and October 2026 as Breast Cancer Awareness Months.
Whereas, the National Cancer Institute estimates that 316,950 women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2025, comprising over 15 percent of all new cancer cases; and
Whereas, the National Cancer Institute estimates that 42,170 women in the United States will die from breast cancer in 2025, comprising almost 7 percent of all cancer deaths; and
Whereas, breast cancer is most common among middle-aged and older women, with a median age at diagnosis of 63, but men can develop breast cancer as well; and
Whereas, the American Cancer Society estimates that approximately 2,800 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2025, and 510 men in the United States will die from it; and
Whereas, the National Cancer Institute reported that the age-adjusted incidence rate for breast cancer between 2017 and 2021 for Wisconsin women was 137 cases per 100,000 individuals each year—significantly higher than the national incidence rate of 129.8 cases per 100,000 individuals; and
Whereas, the American Cancer Society recommends that all women between the ages of 45 and 54 be screened with a mammogram every year, and all women over the age of 55 be screened at least every other year; and
Whereas, the early detection and diagnosis of breast cancer can significantly improve the odds that a person will survive breast cancer; and
Whereas, a study from the Radiological Society of North America attributed the 40 percent decline in the national female breast cancer mortality rate in recent decades to the increased use of mammograms and improvements in treatment; and
Whereas, the Wisconsin Legislature has the opportunity to bring awareness to this vital public health issue; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the assembly, the senate concurring, That the members of the Wisconsin Legislature proclaim the months of October 2025 and October 2026 as Breast Cancer Awareness Months to promote awareness, early detection, and treatment of breast cancer.
