As we all know October is the month of wearing pink, supporting breast cancer awareness. What you probably didn’t know is that there are over 120 different types of cancer. Now to discuss all 120 types of cancers you would be sitting here for hours, I will be discussing the two most common types of cancer in women.
When this topic came up for our Her Campus-Montclair article choices, I immediately jumped on it. My mother was diagnosed with skin cancer when I was around ten years old and I was the one to discover it (which is why my mother believes I am choosing the wrong career and should be a dermatologist). Seven years later my mother is a survivor, being told she only had a short six months to live when she was diagnosed. Although her battle will never be over, she is still fighting but everyday she is surviving- I am dedicating this article to her.
A massive number of 14,483,830 people recorded in the United States have been diagnosed and are survivors of the ten most prevalent cancer sites among men and women as of January 1st 2014.
Having a family with history of cancer, it is incredibly important on my end to understand the signs, symptoms and preventative actions to live a healthy and cancer free future. Now, I may have a family background with cancer, but what you probably also did not know is that EVERYONE is susceptible to cancer. One of the main cancers commonly susceptible, given our youth habits, is skin cancer. Skin cancer is so common because we have all been sun burnt at least once in our life (some more than others). I also feel like I can say us females, have all tanned at some point in our life – without safe practices. The most important preventative action possible is to wear sunscreen. Sunscreen is so essential because it protects our skin from harmful UV rays that can cause skin cancer later on in life.
Also understanding how to successfully conduct a self-exam and understanding what to look for is also extremely crucial.
One in eight women in the United States will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime. In 2014 about 40,000 women were expected to die from breast cancer, in addition there were 2.8 million women with a history of breast cancer in the United States in 2014- this includes women who are currently being treated, and women have finished treatment. These numbers are absolutely outrageous. As you may or may not know, there is no single cure of cancer. Although similar to skin cancer, there are many ways to reduce the risk of breast cancer.
Body weight, physical activity and diet have all been linked to breast cancer so it is assumed these are the areas that you are able to take action reducing your risk. On Cancer.org it is believed “A diet that is rich in vegetables, fruit, poultry, fish, and low-fat dairy products has also been linked with a lower risk of breast cancer in some studies.” It is also paramount to understand how to successfully conduct a self-exam.
You probably didn’t know that once a month you should be giving yourself a self-examination. This goes for women of all ages. Nationalbreastcancer.org says “While mammograms can help you to detect cancer before you can feel a lump, breast self-exams help you to be familiar with how your breasts look and feel so you can alert your healthcare professional if there are any changes. “ They also encourage “If you find a lump, schedule an appointment with your doctor, but don’t panic — 8 out of 10 lumps are not cancerous. For additional peace of mind, call your doctor whenever you have concerns.
Given that we are about two weeks into October- National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, there are so many ways that you can get involved on campus. From simply wearing pink to going all out and becoming involved with organizations on campus supporting Breast Cancer Awareness. The Alliance for Women in Media will be holding a bake sale raising awareness and funds for breast cancer (date TBA) so make sure to keep an eye out for that! There are also many other ways to become involved. One of my favorite organizations raising awareness and funds for research is the American Cancer Society. This organization is my favorite because they do not focus on just a single type of cancer. I have a background in volunteering for the American Cancer Society as well as participating in their event called Over The Edge rappelling down 34 stories raising $1,500 for ACS. I have also been involved in a number of Relay for Life events. Quite some time away there will be a Relay For Life of Montclair State on Friday, May 1st 2015 at 5pm 9, more information can be found here: http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLCY15EA?pg=entry&fr_id=66999 . I encourage all my readers to sign up today – giving yourself plenty of time to raise money! If you cannot participate you still can donate- every dollar counts!
Another event coming to campus is brought to you by Montclair Miracles! On December 6th, they will hold their Big Event- a 12 hour Dance-a-thon! I have personally never done this event before, but I know plenty of friends who have and it is sure to be a great time! From 12 noon until 12 midnight we will be dancing- standing the whole time- to show support for the kids and families treated at Children’s Specialized Hospital! There are NO fee’s to join but there is a minimum fundraising amount of $62 representing the 62 children treated every minute by Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals- the leading hospital specializing in childhood