Amongst the beautiful cooler weather, Halloween costume brainstorming, and too-close-for-comfort football games (c’mon, Noles), something else is going on that deserves at least as much attention: Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The purpose of Breast Cancer Awareness Month is to increase awareness of the disease. You’ve probably noticed the pink ribbons before, noted the pink boxes from Hungry Howie’s that they use every October, heard of Susan G. Komen, or even participated in one of the many nationwide breast cancer walks. But what facts do you know about breast cancer?
Pay attention, Collegiettes: breast cancer is the most common cancer among women. In fact, one in every eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in their lives. If you don’t already know of someone who has been diagnosed, chances are that you will at some point in your life. If you’ve ever heard of country singer Sheryl Crow, news anchor Robin Roberts, or author Judy Blume, you already know someone who has suffered from it. Most people diagnosed with Stage I or II breast cancer survive, but at Stage IV the survival rate drops down to a mere 22%.
So what can you do to catch the signs of breast cancer early? The most obvious answer is a mammogram, which most women should start having every year at age 40. However, women should start having clinical breast exams every three years while they are in their 20s and 30s, and it is beneficial to begin performing breast self-examinations around age 20. Breast self-examinations help women notice changes throughout time that may have otherwise gone under the radar. Aside from noticing changes, women performing self-examinations should look for symptoms such as breast lumpiness, clear or bloody nipple discharge, dimpling of the skin, and warmth of the breast. On the other hand, women with a family history of breast cancer, or who are associated with other risk factors, (such as certain gene mutations), should start having annual mammograms in their 20s.
In 1990 the Divinyls released a female anthem titled “I Touch Myself.” When their lead singer Chrissy Amphlett lost her battle with breast cancer last year, the song was transformed into a female anthem of a different sort. Check out the inspiring and chilling video of the song remade here.
Interested in helping the cause? Tallahassee is hosting a Go Pink 5K this Saturday, October 11, along with a noncompetitive walk on Sunday, October 19. See this link for more information, along with other events going on for Breast Cancer Awareness Month in Tallahassee: http://www.tallahassee.com/story/life/wellness/2014/10/02/breast-cancer-awareness-events/16581591/.
Sources:
http://ww5.komen.org/BreastCancer/AboutBreastCancer.html
http://www.healthline.com/health-slideshow/celebrities-with-breast-cancer#3
http://www.cancer.org/cancer/breastcancer/detailedguide/breast-cancer-treating-general-info