Northampton Mayor Thomas D. Reenock has issued a proclamation designating October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month as part of National Cancer Month.

Reenock urged women 40 and over to schedule a baseline mammogram. Reenock said regular mammograms can be thought as a form of insurance.

"Breast cancer risk rises with age and is more likely to be treated if detected by a mammogram before symptoms develop," Reenock said.

According to the American Cancer Society, Reenock said, 234,000 Americans will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 231,760 women and 40,000 men will die.

Also, 30 percent of women will develop Stage IV advanced or metastatic breast cancer, the second leading cause of cancer deaths behind lung cancer. Currently, 155,000 Americans live with metastatic breast cancer, for which there is no cure.

Reenock said metastatic breast cancer frequently involves one treatment after another, including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation and hormonal treatment.

The goal is to extend life as long as possible with the best quality of life. Many metastatic breast cancer patients live with the constant fear that treatment will no longer be effective.

By issuing the proclamation, Reenock said, he is encouraging all borough residents and those in surrounding communities to acknowledge October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month and take part in appropriate programs and activities supporting friends and neighbors who have the disease.