Brake for Breakfast, a national event to educate about breast cancer, was held in Malad on Thursday, October 5, 2023. Organized and sponsored by Nell J. Redfield Memorial Hospital, this year’s drive-through Brake for Breakfast was held on the street between the Hospital and the Clinic. Hospital staff handed out 400 bags to drivers, beginning at 7:00 a.m. and continuing until all bags were distributed.

Each tote bag held a bottle of water, a package of mini muffins, string cheese, a bag of nuts, two mints, and information about the prevalence of breast cancer, the need for screening with mammography, and other educational materials.

The event was organized by Kathy Hubbard, the Chief Operating Officer for the Hospital. Employees who assisted in stuffing the bags and then handing them to drivers included Karren Edwards, Elise Bell, Pam Mills, Tyson Daniels, Hesston Duessler, Paula Davis, John Williams, Cindy Howard, and Jean Thomas.

In the United States, breast cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in women, and the most frequently diagnosed. In 2023, an estimated 297,790 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in women in the United State, according to breastcancer.org. Approximately 43,700 women in the United States are expected to die in 2023 from breast cancer.

However, regular screenings—a combination of mammograms, clinical breast exams, and self-exams—can help catch breast cancer earlier, when it is easier to treat and treatments are more successful.

Idaho is 47th in the nation when it comes to women getting screened for breast cancer. The goal of this event is to remind women to not put off this important test. The mobile mammography bus comes to Malad from Portneuf Regional Medical Center on the 2nd Tuesday of every month, making it easy to get the test done regularly or as recommended by a physician. Early detection is key to surviving this type of cancer with fewer serious side effects.