Rock Island Today

Illinois state Rep. Tony McCombie (R-Savanna) took to social media to remind her constituents to get their mammograms for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

"Breast Cancer Awareness Month - HAVE YOU SCHEDULED YOUR MAMMOGRAM!?!" McCombie said in a Facebook post this week. "Breast cancer is the most common cancer in American women, except for skin cancers. Knowledge and early detection saves lives. Learn more about breast cancer, risk factors, and the warning signs to look for at https://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/about-breast-cancer/#breastcancerawareness"

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) laid out a few facts about breast cancer in a "Healthbeat" publication. It read in part:

"Today, one out of every eight American women will develop breast cancer sometime during her life. More than 40,000 women in the United States will die this year from the disease; more than 2,000 of them will be from Illinois. Realizing that there is a possibility she may develop breast cancer is a woman's first step toward taking control of her health. 

"The facts are-- All women are at risk of breast cancer, regardless of age, race, ethnicity or sexual orientation. There is no way to prevent breast cancer. Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in Illinois women. African American women die from breast cancer at a higher rate than women of any other race. Minority women tend to be diagnosed at a more advanced stage of breast cancer."

While most cases of breast cancer occur in women who do not have specific risk factors, IDPH noted that there are some risk factors associated with the disease:

"What are the risk factors for developing breast cancer? Being female; increasing age; having a family history of breast cancer; being older at the birth of your first child or never having a child; not breastfeeding; beginning menstruation before age 12 or completing menopause after age 55; drinking alcohol (more than one drink a day); not getting regular exercise; being overweight; having a personal history of breast cancer or some non-cancerous breast diseases; having radiation therapy to the breast/chest; using hormone replacement therapy for a long time; using birth control pills."

McCombie was elected to represent the individuals living in the 71st District in 2016, the Illinois General Assembly website said. She is a lifelong resident of Savanna, Ill., and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Western Illinois University. She owns and operates Blue Appraisals and is a real estate broker with MelFoster Company. Her previous political experience includes time as the mayor of Savanna, Ill., and as a member of the Savanna City Council.