Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Breast Cancer Awareness Month (also referred to as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month) is an annual international health campaign organized by major breast cancer charities every October to increase awareness about breast cancer and to raise funds for research into its causes, prevention and ultimately, a cure. The breast cancer awareness campaign also offers information and support to those affected by breast cancer.
October is designated as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the first national breast cancer awareness month program took place in October 1985 as a week-long event to fill the information void in public communication about breast cancer. The founding members of the Board of Sponsors, the American Academy of Family Physicians, AstraZeneca Healthcare Foundation and CancerCare, Inc., distributed brochures, spoke to news reporters, and testified before a U.S. Congressional committee about the crucial need for widespread access to mammography.
Today the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) organization is comprised of several national public service organizations, professional medical associations, and government agencies working in partnership to build breast cancer awareness, share information, help with breast cancer treatment and prevention (via a good breast cancer diet) and provide access to screening services.
As well as providing a platform for breast cancer charities to raise awareness of their work and of the disease, breast cancer awareness month is also a prime opportunity to remind women to be breast cancer aware for earlier detection.
Breast cancer can be attributed to many factors, including age, genetics, obesity, and family history. Women who exercise regularly, maintain healthy diets, and have yearly visits with their doctors are less likely to get breast cancer. Various screening measures such as mammograms, regular breast self-exams, and clinical breast exams can help detect cancer before it has a chance to spread. Early detection allows for early intervention, helps make breast cancer treatment more effective, and gives hope to patients and saves lives.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in women in the United States and results in the deaths of more than 40,000 women each year.
Breast cancer is the second most common form of cancer death in white, black, Asian, and American Indian women and the leading cause of cancer death among Hispanic women, according to research. It is for this reason, that October has been named breast cancer awareness month; we should all help spread the word.
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