Los Alamos County’s proclamation declaring October Breast Cancer Awareness Month highlights persistent gaps in cancer screening, access to treatment and survival rates across New Mexico.
The County Council approved the measure Sept. 29. Breast cancer awareness advocate and fundraiser Nancy Partridge accepted the proclamation from Councilor Theresa Cull, describing it as a positive but incomplete step that should spur year-round action.
The proclamation notes rising breast cancer cases among women under 50, with about 85% occurring in women without a hereditary history. Nationally this year, nearly 322,000 new cases are expected among women and 2,700 among men.
Early detection and advances in treatment have improved survival rates overall, and the proclamation identifies sustained research funding, public education about symptoms, insurance coverage for diagnostic testing and affordable care as essential.
New Mexico faces outsized challenges. Breast cancer ranks as the second-leading cause of cancer death in the state, with a five-year survival rate of 64.4% that falls below the national average. Shortages of health care workers in rural areas contribute to the disparity.
“New Mexico faces particularly unique challenges when it comes to cancer. As documented in the New Mexico Cancer Plan 2026-2031, our state has the lowest cancer screening rate in the nation and the sixth-lowest cancer survival rate,” Partridge said.
Even in Los Alamos, often ranked among the healthiest places to live, residents frequently leave the county for specialty care. A local health care quality and accessibility survey found that 66% of respondents sought services outside the county, most often for oncology.
Partridge urged officials and residents to use the proclamation as a starting point rather than a one-month observance. She called for continued discussion of research funding, symptom education, early detection, laws requiring coverage for diagnostic tests and support for patients facing the financial burden of a diagnosis.
She also stressed the need to collaborate with local and regional hospitals to recruit oncology specialists and other health care professionals.
“Let’s keep the conversation going beyond this proclamation,” Partridge said. “Thank you for issuing this proclamation. Let’s make it a beginning.”
