October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. All month we see pink everywhere, hear survivor stories, and read slogans saying how we need to “Save the Ta-Tas.” What we don’t always get exposure to are the facts and how to help.
Let’s start with some facts:
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Did you know that one in eight women will get breast cancer in their lifetime?
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How about that breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women worldwide, and the second leading cause of cancer related death in women?
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Men can also get breast cancer – 2.47 men will be diagnosed while 460 men will die from breast cancer every year.
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Every two minutes, a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer. One woman will die every thirteen minutes from breast cancer.
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In the United States, there are thirty-three million breast cancer survivors.
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Facts Provided from The National Breast Cancer Foundation
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African American Women under 45 are at a higher risk for breast cancer.
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A woman’s risk of breast cancer almost doubles if she has a mother, sister, or daughter who has been diagnosed.
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Less than fifteen percent of woman who get breast cancer have a family member that’s been diagnosed.
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Fact Provided from the American Cancer Society
How do you Check for Breast Cancer? What are some symptoms?
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Step 1: Look at your breasts in the mirror with your shoulder straight and hands on your hips.
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You should look for any unusual shapes, colors, and swelling. Also take notice of any dimpling, puckering, or bulging.
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Step 2: Raise your arms and look again for the same symptoms.
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Step 3: Check for any signs of fluid coming out of either nipple.
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Step 4: Feel your breasts while laying down. Keep one arm up while the other arm does the checking. Use circular, firm motions with your fingertips to apply pressure to quarter-sized areas. Make sure to check the whole breast and then repeat with the second breast.
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You should be looking and feeling for any lumps or puckering.
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Facts Provided from breastcancer.org
To donate, Time Magazine recommends these organizations as ones which really make a difference:
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To help patients avoid debt: https://www.pinkfund.org/
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To support education: http://www.breastcancerdeadline2020.org/homepage.html
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To help young patients: https://www.youngsurvival.org/
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To support Prevention Research: http://www.cbcrp.org/
Don’t just get pink-washed this October. Know the facts and help spread awareness.