Illinois is Investing in Prevention
In the past five years, Illinois has invested $72 million in breast and cervical cancer screenings and education
Annual Medical Cost of Breast Cancer Care in 20201
$29.8 Billion
Per Patient Cost
$119,000
Annual Medical Cost of Cervical Cancer Care in 20202
$2.3 Billion
Per Patient Cost
$160,000
According to the Centers for Disease Control, breast cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in women. Nationally, more than 272,000 new cases of breast cancer were diagnosed in 2022, and more than 42,000 women died from the disease in 2023.1
Breast cancer is the most expensive type of cancer to treat. In 2020, costs for medical services and prescription drugs totaled $29.8 billion. The CDC reports that the average per-patient cost is more than $119,000 from the year after diagnosis to end of life. Prevention is key. Screening every two years for women aged 50 to 74 reduces breast cancer deaths by 26%. Breast cancers diagnosed at an early stage are much less expensive to treat than those diagnosed at a late stage.1
Nearly 13,000 new cervical cancer cases were reported nationally in 2022, and more than 4,000 women died from their illness in 2023.2 But death rates from cervical cancer have declined, in large part due to screenings. The CDC says the average per-patient cost is almost $160,000 from the year after diagnosis to end of life. More than 90% of women diagnosed at an early stage live for five years or more, compared to about 19% of those diagnosed at the most advanced stage. Screening can identify cervical cancer at an early stage, which is less expensive to treat.
The Illinois Department of Public Health reported more than 15,000 breast cancer screenings in fiscal year 2025 and more than 5,000 cervical cancer screenings through the Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program.3
By investing in screenings for breast and cervical cancer, Illinois is working to help save the lives of our mothers, grandmothers, daughters, granddaughters, sisters, nieces and friends.
- 1 CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, https://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/priorities/breast-cancer.html. Accessed May 13, 2026.
- 2 CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, https://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/priorities/cervical-cancer.html. Accessed May 13, 2026.
- 3 Fiscal Year 2025 Illinois Office of Comptroller's Public Accountability Report
How much from the fiscal year 2026 budget has been expended for breast and cervical cancer screenings?
The following provides current state expenditures for Breast Cancer Awareness for the fiscal year indicated on each tab.
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For more information about Illinois public health statistics, view the Illinois Office of Comptroller’s Public Accountability Report at https://par.illinoiscomptroller.gov/.