When the month of October approaches, many people start thinking about their next Halloween costume, the pictures they plan on taking at pumpkin patches, and the endless scary movies they plan on watching but for the people living with breast cancer and those close to them, October means something completely different. October is known internationally as Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM). During this month, numerous breast cancer charities organize this health campaign as a way of not only increasing breast cancer awareness but also raising money for research for a cure, prevention, and treatment.
Breast cancer is an illness that is caused by malignant cells forming in the tissues of the breast. According to National Breast Cancer, a woman will be diagnosed with breast cancer by her doctor every 2 minutes and every 13 minutes a woman will lose her life to breast cancer. In the United States alone, 1 in 8 women will learn that they have breast cancer in their lifetime and today there are well over 33 million people living with breast cancer in the United States. This disease affects women globally, in fact, it is currently the most common form of cancer found amongst women and is responsible for killing hundreds of thousands of women annually.
Contrary to popular belief, breast cancer can also affect men. The American Cancer Society predicts that this year, breast cancer will claim the lives of 460 men. How are men able to develop breast cancer if they don’t have any breasts? The answer is simple, men have breast tissue, it’s not a lot but it’s still there. Their breasts resemble that of a young girl before she hits puberty.
Although the exact cause of breast cancer is still unclear, there are many factors that can lead to a woman developing breast cancer. Younger women are less likely to develop breast cancer than older women while black women are more likely to develop breast cancer before they get menopause than white women. Women who have a family history of women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer are more likely to develop the disease than those who do not have a family history. Another risk factor includes her exposure to estrogen. Every woman will be exposed to estrogen during her lifetime. This exposure is influenced by the age in which she begins and stops menstruating, the length of her menstrual cycle, as well as the age in which she has her first child.
Courtesy: Jambushoes
During the month of October, many people find ways to support Breast Cancer Awareness Month. For the last eight years, the NFL has partnered up with the American Cancer Society, and the NFL Players Association to run a campaign that reminds women just how important it is to have a mammogram done regularly. They have raised almost $15 million dollars by selling pink merchandise on both the NFL Auction site and retail stores.
Courtesy: Jambushoes
NFL players also support Breast Cancer Awareness Month by wearing pink for the entire month in support: pink gloves, pink wristbands, pink etc. All across America, every year there are 5k events thrown by different breast cancer charities. On Sunday, Oct. 22, at Cascades Park, you too can support Breast Cancer Awareness Month by participating in the walk. Registration begins at 1 p.m. and the walk starts at 3 p.m. Donations will be accepted!