Ashley Grover
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month and the pink ribbon is widely known. People are encouraged to “think pink” as well as to remind their mothers, sisters, aunts and grandmothers to take care of their breast health by getting annual check-ups.
Others are drawn to companies such as Yoplait yogurt, which promotes breast cancer awareness through their pink lids. For every pink lid sent in, Yoplait donates a certain amount of money back to breast cancer research.
Even the cell phone industry is getting on board, with pink cell phones offered by one phone company promising to donate part of the price tag to breast cancer research.
In another innovative campaign, a bridal wear magazine has enrolled some of the fashion industry’s biggest names to design pink wedding gowns to aid a breast cancer charity. The gowns will be sold in salons throughout the U.S. and ten percent of the sales will go to the breast cancer charity.
October is also full of events for breast cancer awareness. Two of skateboarding’s biggest names, Cara-Beth (CB) Burnside and Mimi Knoop (Mimi), were in Denver on October 12th for what had been termed “a one-of-a-kind women’s action sports event and fashion show” by Core Action Sports.
However, with all this going on it is important to not forget what it is all about: raising awareness.
When a mammogram detected a lump in Jan Watson’s breast, the fear was paralyzing. Watson was diagnosed with breast cancer, the most common cancer in women in the United States aside from skin cancer.
Although Watson was told her cancer would not be life-threatening, Watson said the diagnosis put her life on hold. Watson has faced numerous surgeries, radiation treatments and even had to put off having children due to hormonal treatment. “It’s terrifying,” Watson said. “But it’s not only scary; it’s affecting every aspect of my life. There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t have to think about it.”
Watson is not alone. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), an estimated 192,370 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed among women in the United States this year. An estimated 40,170 women are expected to die from the disease in 2009 alone.
ACS defines cancer as a disease that occurs when cells become abnormal and divide without control or order. Each organ in the body is made up of various kinds of cells. Cells normally divide in an orderly way to produce more cells only when they are needed. This process helps keep the body healthy. If cells divide when new cells are not needed, they form too much tissue. This extra tissue, called a tumor, can be benign or malignant. Malignant tumors are cancer.
Breast cancer is cancer that forms in tissues of the breast, usually the ducts (tubes that carry milk to the nipple) and lobules (glands that make milk). It occurs in both men and women, although male breast cancer is rare.
Breast cancer is a serious and often fatal disease. October brings a month dedicated to breast cancer awareness and aid. Gestures as simple as wearing a pink ribbon can show your support for the fight against breast cancer. You may not be able to donate money to the cause but you can always be aware.
Great article to bad we don’t have an event to raise money on campus for it I think it would get a lot of support.