Paint Nevada Pink shows its colors

In partnership with Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada, Susan G. Komen Nevada, Optum Care and many other generous sponsors throughout the state, Nevada Cancer Coalition aims to Paint Nevada Pink as part of a campaign to encourage yearly mammograms beginning at age 40 for average-risk women, have high-risk women talk with their provider about when to begin screenings, and increase early detection screening for breast cancer statewide.

This year’s program kicked off Oct. 2 in Las Vegas and Reno, as several notable businesses displayed the signature #PaintNevadaPink logo. The iconic Fremont Street Experience canopy turned pink and displayed the ever-important message, as did the Reno arch.

Other famous Las Vegas attractions such as The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas and the High Roller illuminated the skyline a bright pink, and off-Strip, Ethel M Chocolates “pinked” its famous cactus garden. Mini Grand Prix, Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center, Silver Lining’s digital trucks also participated.

“This is our third annual Paint Nevada Pink campaign to raise awareness across the state about the importance of early detection screening for breast cancer,” says Cassie Goodman, cancer early detection programs manager at Nevada Cancer Coalition.

The outreach campaign is important because Nevada has historically ranked below the national average for screening mammograms (and even more so during the COVID-19 pandemic). According to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, in 2018, the national percentage of women 40 and older that received a screening mammogram in the past two years was 72 percent. Nevada was only at 66 percent.

“Throughout the pandemic in 2020, we saw mammography rates drop across our nation, and in talking with partners, we know that Nevada saw a similar decline,” Goodman said. “There is a real fear that these missed and delayed breast cancer screenings will lead to a higher rate of late-stage cancer down the road and, in turn, a higher mortality rate.

“While Paint Nevada Pink always focuses on women of average risk beginning annual mammograms at age 40 and women of higher-than-average risk talking with their providers by age 25 to develop a screening plan, we want this year’s campaign to also serve as a reminder to women who postponed their mammograms to schedule that appointment and get back on track.”

On social media, the Pledge for Pink gives individuals an opportunity to promise to schedule their mammogram within the next year and to share the ever-important pledge with friends and family. The Pledge for Pink can be accessed by visiting www.paintnevadapink.com and the Paint Nevada Pink Facebook page.

Participants are being asked to share that they’ve completed the pledge via social media with the hashtags #PaintNevadaPink and #MammogramsSaveLives, as well as use the Pink Your Profile tool or the ready-made Facebook frame.

Furry friends are also encouraged to participate by wearing pink accessories or having their fur dyed pink. Make sure their photos are also shared on social media by using #PinkPets.

Although many businesses plan to light up pink for the entire month, there are other ways to participate:

Pink Your Business asks Nevada companies to use their creativity in coming up with unique ways to showcase this important duty.

People are encouraged to wear pink during the month. Even the doctors at Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada will wear special pink polo shirts.

Employee donation matching gift programs help ensure the possibility of breast cancer screening and diagnostic services to low-income women who are uninsured or underinsured.

Paint Nevada Pink came out of the Northern Nevada Breast Cancer Collaborative in 2019 as a way to promote unified breast cancer screening recommendations. Northern Nevada Breast Cancer Collaborative had identified confusion around screening recommendations as a barrier for both physicians and community members.

As a response, multiple organizations in the region came together to adopt the most recent evidence-based recommendations from the American Society of Breast Surgeons released in May 2019. Paint Nevada Pink was created to promote these recommendations to the community.

“Paint Nevada Pink and its mission to raise awareness is complementary to our community outreach efforts of Comprehensive Cancer Centers,” said Stephani Christensen, medical oncologist. “We have created, along with VGK star defenseman Shea Theodore, Kay’s Power Play Fund at Susan G. Komen, to provide access to mammograms for the uninsured, underinsured and patients under 40 years old whose mammograms are not covered by insurance.

“And, we also launched the limited-edition Mammo Cup Patch, meant to inspire and encourage women to get a mammogram at participating locations to receive the collector’s patch. As you can see, Paint Nevada Pink and other initiatives at Comprehensive are centered around the need to encourage women to get their mammograms and educate them about the importance of early detection and screening.”

Visit www.paintnevadapink.com and the Paint Nevada Pink Facebook page for more details about Paint Nevada Pink.