The Biden Administration resurrected the "cancer moonshot" initiative this year, and enlisted the help of multi-awarded superstar Mary J. Blige in spreading awareness of the illness.
On Oct. 24, First Lady Jill Biden and the American Cancer Society had a national meeting on breast and cervical cancer. Through the initiative, more funds will be put into research, which will "help us end cancer as we know it. For good," as Biden puts it.
According to the Mayo Clinic, survival rates have increased while the number of deaths has decreased through the awareness and better understanding of these illnesses.
These are cancers that occur commonly among women, especially cervical cancer which manifests in the cervix.
Blige and Biden are no strangers to cancer. Blige opened up about her brush with cancer as several of her relatives have been diagnosed with the illness.
"So I'm convinced that if all my aunts, godmothers, and grandparents had seen campaigns like this," she said, choking up, "They would have a different outcome today."
The 51-year-old artist added that preventive screenings like mammograms are beneficial in the long run. She reminded audiences that "health is your wealth," and urged it to be everyone's main priority.
The R&B superstar advocates for cancer screening. In a separate interview, she revealed that she had no idea about breast cancer or mammograms until she was well into adulthood.
"I didn't know about breast cancer or mammograms until I was 40 and I was in the music business and I was trying to take care of myself. My body started talking so I started listening," she recalled.
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Awareness
In Oct. 2021, she was part of a panel that discussed the Global Women's Health Index. One of the topics highlighted was "Screening the System: A Dialogue On Bias and Breast Health."
The panel discussed what was keeping Black women from getting screened.
Blige explained how there was a significant lack of conversation about breast cancer at home. She also shared her personal experience with the lack of knowledge about screening and early detection.
"I found out about it at the GYN. They don't discuss this when we're children. They don't say, 'Go get a mammogram.' You learn about this as you get older. So they don't speak about it and that's why they end up in the hospital with two weeks to live and now you know about it. That's why it's extremely important to me."
This cause is also important for Biden who began advocating for it in the 1990s. According to reports, aside from providing funds for research, the administration will also invest in new treatments and therapies.
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