October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

If you haven’t noticed the multitude of pink ribbons around us as a reminder, October is
National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Statistics on the incidence of breast cancer, according to the
National Breast Cancer Awareness Foundation, Inc web site
Show that:

“This year in America, more than 211,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 43,300 die.
One woman in eight either has or will develop breast cancer in her lifetime.
In addition, 1,600 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 400 will die this year.
If detected early, the five-year survival rate exceeds 95%.
Mammograms are among the best early detection methods, yet 13 million U.S. women 40 years of age or older have never had a mammogram.”

That last statistic is particularly interesting, as information on the
American Cancer Society web site
States:

“The Best Early Warning System for Breast Cancer?
A mammogram. Every year. Every woman age 40 and older. For Breast Cancer Awareness Month, mammograms are In the Spotlight.”

There are more than enough resources for reference material at these three linked sites, and they are much more athoritative than AccessAbility can be, so I’ll leave it to them to provide you you with more information.

What I will do is to encourage your DSS office to take an active role in supporting breast cancer awareness. Co-sponsor campus events highlighting awareness and get out there with reference material and resources. Join with your student health center and do something to promote awareness.

Look at those statistics, then look around you. The odds are that you will know one or more women who are dealing with or have survived breast cancer. If not, you will.