As we welcome the month of October, it brings with it the annual Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an initiative that resonates with people around the world. It’s a month-long spotlight on breast cancer, its prevention, early detection, and treatment. It is about more than just pink ribbons and awareness campaigns; it’s about saving lives.
Breast cancer doesn’t discriminate; it aects women and men of all ages and backgrounds. In October, we take a collective pause to remember those who have battled this formidable adversary, honor survivors, and work tirelessly to prevent more from enduring its impact.
At the heart of this campaign is a simple yet empowering message: know your body. Regular self-exams and mammograms are our secret weapons in detecting breast cancer at its most vulnerable stages. The sooner it’s detected, the better the chances of successful treatment and recovery. It’s a message we should take to heart and share with friends and family.
Cancer is no indisposition, but rather a life threatening malignancy. People suer daily, both mentally and physically, from breast cancer. Breast cancer intervenes in the lives of its victims, taking a mental toll on both them and their family, giving them a sense of uncertainty and fear for what the outcome of treatment will be. Breast cancer can be caused by gene mutations, either inherited
or caused by aging, or by other factors. The chance of getting breast cancer and the intensity of it diers based on factors such as race/ethnicity, sex, genetics, age, and exposures.
Studies have shown that 12.5% of cancer cases worldwide are breast cancer, making it the most common form of cancer. A more severe form, metastatic breast cancer, covers 30% of all breast cancer
diagnoses, with a survival rate of 30% in women and only 19% in men. The results of a study done in 2020 revealed that 2.3 million people were diagnosed with breast cancer that year, with 605,000 women unfortunately losing their battle with breast cancer and passing away in one year alone.
Although there is nothing the ordinary person can do to directly cure cancer, simple donations and fundraising can go a long way. The money put towards breast cancer is used to fund doctors, researchers, and scientists who treat and diagnose breast cancer, and ultimately search for a cure. We wear pink during the month of October as a sign of the millions of people around the world suering, as a reminder to bring attention and support to this cause, and as a way to bring awareness to those who are blind to the truth of the harsh, often degenerative nature of breast cancer.
So, as the month of October comes to a close, let not the passion of bringing awareness to breast cancer leave with it. Breast Cancer awareness goes way beyond just a month of wearing pink. People around the world must come together to continue in the ght against cancer, the invading and malignant enemy.
