Hologic partnership to feature Mary J. Blige, target breast cancer screening for Black women

Photo | Courtesy of Flickr user Sandra Alphonse The artist Mary J. Blige

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Marlborough medical technology company Hologic will partner with the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit Black Women’s Health Imperative on a multi-year project aimed at reducing breast cancer screening disparities for Black women, the company announced on Thursday.

RAD-AID, a D.C.-based nonprofit working to ensure equal access to radiology health services for underserved communities, is also a partner.

The initiative will include an awareness campaign with music artist Mary J. Blige, as well as funding for screening and diagnostic services at 15 facilities around the United States, according to a press release from Hologic.

Black women are almost 40% more likely to die from breast cancer than non-Hispanic white women, the company said in a statement. That risk may be compounded by National Cancer Institute data which predicts 10,000 more people in the United States may die from breast or colorectal cancer because of delayed screenings due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In that vein, the awareness campaign is designed to encourage all Black women to get annual breast cancer screenings beginning at age 40, as well as to provide people from underserved communities to receive access to better screening technology.

One piece of the campaign will include BWHI’s P.O.W.E.R. of Sure campaign, which will include Blige, as well as a digital hub with resources about breast cancer and cancer screenings. In turn, Hologic will fund screening and diagnostic services through its partnership with RAD-AID.

Facilities supported through the initiative will be equipped with Hologic breast cancer screening equipment, according to Hologic.