National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, 2014

Proclamation 9178 of September 30, 2014

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, 2014

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

This year, more than 230,000 women and 2,000 men will
be diagnosed with breast cancer in America. The
heartache and the pain of this disease will touch too
many of our mothers, fathers, daughters, and sisters,
and too many families will bear these burdens. During
National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we recognize
all those who know the anguish of breast cancer, and we
redouble our efforts to improve care and bring
attention to this disease.

When breast cancer is caught early, treatments work
best and survival rates increase. That is why all women
and men should be familiar with the risk factors and
symptoms of this disease. I encourage women to speak
with their health care provider about the risk of
breast cancer and the importance of recommended
mammograms--breast cancer screenings that play an
essential role in early detection. Whether you are
looking for information about breast cancer prevention,
treatment of metastatic breast cancer, or information
on the latest research, all Americans can learn more by
visiting www.Cancer.gov.

Today, more Americans are surviving breast cancer than
ever before, but there is more work to do, and my
Administration is fighting every day to improve the
lives of breast cancer patients, survivors, and their
families. We have invested billions of dollars in
critical research to better understand the causes of
breast cancer, develop new diagnostic tools, and pursue
innovative treatments. The Affordable Care Act has
expanded access to life-saving care for millions of
Americans, including those affected by breast cancer,
and requires most insurance plans to cover recommended
preventive services, including mammograms, without
copays. New protections under the law also eliminate
annual and lifetime dollar limits on coverage and
prohibit insurers from denying coverage because of pre-
existing conditions, including cancer.

This month, as we honor those lost to breast cancer,
let us join with the loved ones who celebrate their
memory and the patients who battle this disease every
day, as well as our Nation's advocates, medical
researchers, and health care providers. Together, we
renew our commitment to better prevent, detect, and
treat breast cancer, and we continue our work toward a
future free from cancer in all its forms.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the
United States of America, by virtue of the authority
vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the
United States, do hereby proclaim October 2014 as
National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I encourage
citizens, government agencies, private businesses,
nonprofit organizations, and all other interested
groups to join in activities that will increase
awareness of what Americans can do to prevent breast
cancer.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
thirtieth day of September, in the year of our Lord two
thousand fourteen, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
ninth.