“We have to make sure that we always do our part,” Villagomez said as he commended cancer survivors who continue to have a positive outlook in life.
He said the Commonwealth Health Center has signed a contract with a radiology company so that patients will no longer wait for weeks to get their mammogram results.
An x-ray of the breast, mammograms can detect breast cancer.
Villagomez witnessed the proclamation signing on Friday at the Saipan mayor’s office for the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which started on Oct. 17 and will end on Nov. 17.
Saipan Mayor Juan B. Tudela said there is a need to increase awareness about the importance of the early detection of breast cancer through a nationwide campaign.
“We are proud with the hard work of our own Commonwealth Cancer Association for all the efforts to provide guidance and support to all cancer patients and survivors,” he said.
Based on reports, Tudela said the number of breast cancer cases on CNMI has gone up last year and “is very alarming.”
From 1997 to 2007, 32 women have been diagnosed to have had breast cancer — 25 of them died.
To help prevent breast cancer, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has the following advice: “Control your weight and exercise; make healthy choices in the foods you eat and the kinds of drinks you should take each day; know your family history of breast cancer; find out the risk and benefits of hormone replacement therapy if it is right for you; and limit the amount of alcohol you drink.”
