Last Updated: October 2, 2025
Richmond and Henrico Health Districts (RHHD) encourage women 25 years of age and older to talk with their health care provider about their risk for developing breast cancer. Women 40 and older should get regular breast screenings. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a month devoted to educating people about breast cancer — including metastatic breast cancer (MBC) — and the importance of early detection and access to timely, high-quality care.
“Breast cancer screening helps find breast cancer early, when it is easier to treat,” said Richmond and Henrico Health Districts Director Elaine Perry, M.D. “We encourage people to talk to their health care provider about which breast cancer screening tests are right for them.”
Breast cancer screening and diagnosis information for Virginia and the U.S.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends breast cancer screening start at age 40 and continue every two years until age 74 to better serve younger women. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, data from 2015 to 2019 in the U.S. show a 2% increase in breast cancer diagnoses per year among women in their 40s. In 2023, an estimated 43,170 women died of breast cancer. Non-Hispanic White women have the highest incidence of breast cancer and non-Hispanic Black women have the highest mortality rate from breast cancer.
Breast cancer data for Richmond City and Henrico County
According to the National Cancer Institute’s State Cancer Profile, the rate of new cases of breast cancer in Virginia rose slightly between 2017 and 2021. The rate in Richmond was similar to the rate in Virginia. The rate in Henrico was somewhat higher than the rate in Virginia.
Virginia Department of Health (VDH) data from 2018-2022 show that female breast cancer was the second most common cancer in Richmond City, with about 129 cases per 100,000 people, just behind prostate cancer. In Henrico County, breast cancer was the most common cancer, with about 148 cases per 100,000 people, higher than prostate cancer at 137. In both areas, breast cancer rates were highest among White (non-Hispanic) women and second highest among Black non-Hispanic women.
How to find breast cancer screening providers
Use this tool from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to search for mammography providers by zip code. Use rhhd.gov/connect-pc to locate primary care providers in the Richmond City and Henrico County area.
Breast health resources for uninsured and income-eligible women
The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) offers Every Woman’s Life (EWL), a public health program that helps uninsured, income-eligible women gain access to free breast and cervical cancer screening services. Screening and early detection reduce death rates, improve treatment options, and greatly increase rates of survival.
To be eligible for EWL, a woman must be a Virginia resident between the ages of 18-64, meet federal income guidelines and be uninsured. Women 18-39 must be symptomatic or be determined to be high risk for breast and/or cervical cancer to be eligible.
The EWL program provides a clinical breast exam, mammogram, pelvic exam, Pap test, and any diagnostic test required to reach a final diagnosis. If a woman enrolled in EWL is diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer she may be eligible for Medicaid to pay for treatment. People can use this link to find a EWL provider near them.
The Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation supports a Screening and Diagnostic Services Fund. This fund covers diagnostic mammograms, ultrasounds, biopsies, and MRIs for income-eligible, uninsured, and underinsured Virginians.
Visit rhhd.gov for more health and safety information. Follow RHHD on Instagram (@richmondcity_hd) and Facebook.