Awareness Is Only the Beginning
September 15, 2026
This Hispanic Heritage Month, we’re looking beyond awareness to the barriers that can stand between knowing and getting care.
Hispanic Heritage Month offers an important opportunity to talk about breast cancer in Hispanic and Latina communities, including why knowing your risk doesn’t always translate into getting the care you need.
About 1 in 9 Hispanic/Latina women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during her lifetime. Breast cancer is also the leading cause of cancer death among Hispanic women in the United States.
And while Hispanic women have historically experienced lower breast cancer incidence than non-Hispanic White women, that doesn’t tell the whole story.
Breast cancer incidence has been rising faster among Hispanic women, and five-year relative survival remains lower for Hispanic women than for non-Hispanic White women.
Lower incidence doesn’t mean lower urgency
For many women and families, getting screened isn’t as simple as making an appointment.
Being uninsured or underinsured, taking time away from work, language barriers, difficulty navigating the healthcare system and the cost of screening or diagnostic care can all delay the next step.
These challenges matter because early detection depends on more than understanding your risk. It depends on being able to act on that knowledge.
Turning awareness into access
The American Breast Cancer Foundation (ABCF) works to help close that gap.
Through its Breast Cancer Assistance Program (BCAP), ABCF provides financial assistance to eligible individuals who are uninsured, underinsured or facing significant out-of-pocket costs for breast cancer screening and diagnostic services.
This Hispanic Heritage Month, we encourage women and families to learn about their personal risk, talk with their healthcare providers about screening and share information about available resources with people in their communities.
If cost is standing between you or someone you know and the care they need, ABCF may be able to help.
Awareness is the beginning. Access is what helps turn it into action.
