October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month!
Did you know? Each year, breast cancer affects one in eight women in the United States and 2.3 million women worldwide.
Breast Cancer Awareness Month aims to promote breast cancer screening and prevention, as well as fundraising. Known best for its pink theme color, Breast Cancer Awareness Month was created to help:
- Support those diagnosed with breast cancer, including metastatic breast cancer
- Educate people about breast cancer risk factors
- Communicate the importance of regular screening, starting at age 40 or an age that’s appropriate for your personal breast cancer risk
- Fundraise for breast cancer research
As part of the national health observation, October 13 is nationally recognized in the United States as Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day. About 30% of early-stage breast cancers eventually metastasize (spread to parts of the body away from the breast), and the day is intended to drive awareness of the need for more research about metastatic disease.
Additionally, in 2021, U.S. President Joe Biden designated October 17 to October 23 Men’s Breast Cancer Awareness Week. Although breast cancer is much more common in women, roughly 2,710 American men are expected to be diagnosed with breast cancer each year, of which an estimated 530 cases are expected to result in death. While some men, trans men, and non-binary people choose to call their cancer chest cancer, general lack of awareness and stigma are common barriers to male breast cancer detection and care, making this week of observation especially important.
*This information is provided by Breastcancer.org.
Donate to support free resources and programming for people affected by breast cancer.
We invite you to browse the following links to learn more about Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the ways to you can help spread awareness and lend support:
Learn more about breast cancer
Things to do this Breast Cancer Awareness Month
https://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/breast-cancer-awareness-month/https://www.komen.org/about-komen/our-impact/breast-cancer/breast-cancer-awareness-month/