The Henry and Stark County Health Department and its First Choice Healthcare Clinics in Kewanee and Toulon announce that October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The official theme for Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2026 is "Every story is unique, every journey matters.” This theme focuses on the personalized experience of dealing with breast cancer. It recognizes that every diagnosis affects individuals and families differently, meaning there is no single or uniform breast cancer experience.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among American women, except for skin cancers. It accounts for 30% (or 1 in 3) of all new female cancers each year.
The American Cancer Society’s estimates for breast cancer in the United States for 2026 are:
About 321,910 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women in the U.S. as well as 60,730 new cases of non-invasive (in situ) breast cancer.
About 42,140 women will die from breast cancer in the U.S.
The average risk of a woman in the US developing breast cancer sometime in her life is about 13%. This means there is a 1 in 8 chance she will develop breast cancer.
RaeAnn Tucker, Health Department Director of Health Promotion, notes, “When considering facts such as these it's obvious that we, in the public health field, must emphasize the importance of early detection and screening. Indeed, breast cancer is the second most common kind of cancer in women. The good news is that many women can survive breast cancer if it’s found and treated early. Therefore, we would like to encourage women to partner with a friend or family member to remind each other to practice monthly breast self-exam and make annual clinical exam and mammogram appointments."
The First Choice Healthcare Clinics of Kewanee and Toulon remind area residents that they provide annual physical exams to area women, including a clinical breast exam and pap smear.
The clinic accepts most insurances and private pay. For more information on the First Choice Healthcare Clinics Women's Health services call Kewanee 309-852-5272 or Toulon 309-852-3115 or find us on Facebook at Henry and Stark County Health Departments or Follow Us on Twitter and Instagram.