Breast Cancer Awareness Month- Do Your Part!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, the month of promoting Breast Cancer, expanding one’s knowledge on the disease and sharing ideas and places where one can access the services they need!

Before talking about Breast Cancer Awareness month, here is some important information about Breast Cancer. Breast cancer begins in the tissues of the breasts. The two main types are Ductal carcinoma and Lobular carcinoma. When one has breast cancer, it is sensitive to estrogen, which may cause the tumor
to grow.

There are many different aspects that may cause breast cancer, however the most well known causes are age, gender, family history, and genes. The older one gets, the more prone they may be to the disease. Being a woman also significantly impacts someone getting the disease. A woman that has family history of breast cancer have an increase risk of obtaining the disease, 20-30% of women that have breast cancer have a family history of the disease. Having the genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 makes someone 56%-85% more susceptible to getting breast cancer in their lifetime.

As the cancer continues to grow symptoms of breast cancer include a lump in the breast or armpit, a change in the size, shape, and feel of the breast or nipple and fluid coming from the nipple. As the cancer progresses even further and becomes more serious the symptoms may include bone pain, breast pain, skin ulcers, swelling of the arm closest to the breast with cancer and severe weight loss.
You may want to give yourself a breast self-exam and even visit a health care professional for a clinical breast exam. As precaution, you may want to check yourself regularly, if you have any concern a mammogram can be performed. Mammograms are usually necessary to have done; the older you get and are usually done as a precaution. Other tests for breast cancer include breast MRIs, breast ultrasounds, breast biopsies, CT scans, and PET scans. It all depends on the severity of your case and what will help you as an individual.

If Breast Cancer is detected most women decide to undergo treatment. The two main treatments are chemotherapy and radiation therapy. However, if the treatment isn’t as effective as hoped to be surgery can be performed. Sometimes women prefer surgery from the beginning before the cancer spreads. Surgeries include lumpectomy, which is the removal of the breast lump, and mastectomy, which is the removal of the breast. Many women have a combination of possible treatments; whatever is necessary to help cure the cancer.

Now what is Breast Cancer Awareness month and how can you be a part of 
it?
Breast Cancer Awareness month is to help people become more aware of the disease, its effects and possible solutions. Many people know someone or have a family member that has been faced with Breast Cancer; this is the month to focus on those who have been directly and indirectly affected by the disease. Let’s help those with this disease, raise money and do whatever we can do to help fight for a cure!

There are a few organizations on campus that have become involved in Breast Cancer Awareness month and are accepting donations, which is a great help! Some local events include Clinton Premium Outlets Pink Event all month where you can donate $10 to the cause and receive 25% off on one item from select stores, the Southeastern Connecticut 2012 Walk across SECT on October 6th, an information seminar in Wallingford on October 27th called Faith in Pink, and also another walk in Hartford on October 21st sponsored by the American Cancer Society, as well as many more activities! Search more Breast Cancer Awareness activities in your area and see what you can do to help the cause!