Breast cancer is a disease in which malignant cells form in the tissue of the breast. Like many other cancers, no one knows the exact cause of breast cancer. 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. (This information was taken from the National Breast Cancer Foundation.)
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I remember sitting in the stands all decked out in the color pink for my high school’s Pink Out football game. This football game was our Breast Cancer Awareness game that was held every October. I remember painting my face and stomach pink with acrylic paint and wearing the pink out shirts that cost about $10 each year.
Breast Cancer Awareness is much bigger than a football game. It is much bigger than the pink paint, the chants, and the shirts. Breast Cancer Awareness helps increase the awareness of this disease. It is about the women who have fought and gave everything they had against breast cancer. Not a single person in the world is ready for the diagnosis of cancer, whether it be breast cancer or any other cancer. I am not writing today as someone who knows anything about what it is like to go through this heartbreaking disease. I am writing to say that, to all the people in the world who have ever been through breast cancer, you are strong. You are incredible. You are amazing. Breast cancer does not define you. You can fight this, and you have so many people behind you that support and love you. I support and love you.
If you would like to donate for Breast Cancer Awareness, the National Breast Cancer Foundation has launched “To Get Her.” “To Get Her” reflects on how “working together, we can inspire hope and become a force for good “to get her” access to the care she needs” (National Breast Cancer Foundation 2020). This foundation helps provide every woman going through this disease with the proper education, screening, support, etc., that they need. (Here is the website link: National Breast Cancer Foundation.)
To everyone reading this, do your monthly self-breast exams. Breast Cancer can happen in males too. In the event that you find a lump, get it checked right away. Early detection has a 5-year relative survival rate of 99% (National Breast Cancer Foundation 2020). If you are 40 and older, you should schedule a mammogram at least once a year. Look into your family history to see what mutations for diseases you have in your genes. I know that breast cancer is in my genetics, so self-breast exams are important.
Happy October! May we show our love and support for the people who have gone through this disease. We love you!