A breast cancer survivor told News 12 that being proactive most likely saved her life.

Almost two decades after getting her diagnosis, Deborah Hall-Moore says mammograms still make her nervous.

“I fell completely apart,” she said upon learning the news. “I was dismayed and in complete despair because cancer hadn't been kind to my family.”

But an early diagnosis and a clinical trial helped her overcome the cancer.

“There are many women that are being diagnosed at early stage 1 today that don't have to have chemo, and don't have to have radiation,” she said. “It is worth your while to go consistently and get your screenings, but it’s got to be become part of the talk and lexicon of women. We talk about everything else – we talk about men, we talk about clothes, we talk about fashion and music – but we need to talk about mammograms and screenings.”

Hall-Moore participated Monday in the “Grab Your Girls and Get Screened” event in Brooklyn – a kickoff to Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Recent research from the American Cancer Society showed breast cancer screenings dropped 6% due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That means 2 million women are not up to date nationwide.

However, over the past three decades, the number of women dying from breast cancer has declined 42%.

The American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Walk is being held this Sunday in Coney Island.