National Breast Cancer Awareness Month aims to make people throughout the country more knowledgeable about this global health issue.

Government agencies, medical societies, and nonprofit organizations work with survivors during October to raise money to fund research, educate women about the importance of getting regular mammograms, and detail prevention and early detection methods.

HOW DID NATIONAL BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH ORIGINATE?

Breast Cancer Awareness Month began in 1985 as a partnership between the American Cancer Society and the pharmaceutical division of Imperial Chemical Industries. Betty Ford helped kick off the week-long event, as she was herself a survivor of breast cancer. She was diagnosed when her husband, Gerald Ford, was president of the United States and brought even more attention to breast cancer.

STATISTICS ABOUT BREAST CANCER

Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer affecting women. For example, as of 2008, 1.38 million new cases were reported worldwide. Also, there were 458,000 deaths contributed to this disease on a global scale. 

Currently, the region of the world with the highest rate of breast cancer-related cases is North America. 

WHAT’S THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PINK RIBBON?

A pink ribbon is the international symbol of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In October 1992, SELF Magazine created a pink ribbon concept to symbolize the importance of breast cancer awareness. Later, SELF editor Alexandra Penney teamed up with cosmetics company Estée Lauder and their then vice president, Evelyn H. Lauder.  

As a result, 1.5 million pink ribbons were distributed at Estée Lauder cosmetics counters worldwide. Then, Lauder, a breast cancer survivor, formed The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, which has raised more than $325 million for cancer research.

FACTS REGARDING BREAST CANCER 

According to the American Cancer Society, the following information reflects how breast cancer has currently impacted woman in the U.S.:

·       About 1 in 8 U.S. women (about 13%) will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime.

·       In 2021, an estimated 281,550 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in women in the U.S., along with 49,290 new cases of non-invasive (in situ) breast cancer.

·       About 2,650 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in men in 2021. A man’s lifetime risk of breast cancer is about 1 in 833.

·       About 43,600 women in the U.S. are expected to die in 2021 from breast cancer. Death rates have been steady in women under 50 since 2007, but have continued to drop in women over 50. The overall death rate from breast cancer decreased by 1% per year from 2013 to 2018. These decreases are thought to be the result of treatment advances and earlier detection through screening.

·       For women in the U.S., breast cancer death rates are higher than those for any other cancer, besides lung cancer.

·       As of January 2021, there are more than 3.8 million women with a history of breast cancer in the U.S. This includes women currently being treated and women who have finished treatment.

·       Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among American women. In 2021, it's estimated that about 30% of newly diagnosed cancers in women will be breast cancers.

·       Breast cancer became the most common cancer globally as of 2021, accounting for 12% of all new annual cancer cases worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.

·       In women under 45, breast cancer is more common in Black women than white women. Overall, Black women are more likely to die of breast cancer. For Asian, Hispanic, and Native-American women, the risk of developing and dying from breast cancer is lower. Ashkenazi Jewish women have a higher risk of breast cancer because of a higher rate of BRCA mutations.

·       Breast cancer incidence rates in the U.S. began decreasing in the year 2000, after increasing for the previous two decades. They dropped by 7% from 2002 to 2003 alone. One theory is that this decrease was partially due to the reduced use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) by women after the results of a large study called the Women’s Health Initiative were published in 2002. These results suggested a connection between HRT and increased breast cancer risk. In recent years, incidence rates have increased slightly by 0.5% per year.

·       A woman’s risk of breast cancer nearly doubles if she has a first-degree relative (mother, sister, daughter) who has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Less than 15% of women who get breast cancer have a family member diagnosed with it.

5 WAYS TO HONOR NBCA MONTH

1.    Donate towards the cause at any Majik store and receive a FREE GIFT!

2.    Wear a pink ribbon or pink every day in October.

3.    Organize a walk/run in support of NBCA Month.

4.    Collect scarves and hats you can donate to breast cancer patients.

5.    Post items that support NBCA Month on your social media pages.

6.    Encourage the women in your life to get a regular mammogram.

Anyone who needs more information about breast cancer or National Breast Cancer Awareness Month can visit www.cancer.org.