Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Breast Cancer Awareness Month, observed each October, is a global initiative aimed at raising awareness about breast cancer, emphasizing the importance of early detection and educating the public about available treatment options. Established over thirty years ago, this month-long campaign serves as a platform for organizations to promote regular breast self-exams, professional examinations, and mammography screenings. Events around the world, including runs, walks, and landmarks illuminated in pink, help draw attention to the cause. The initiative not only highlights the need for awareness but also addresses the disparities in breast cancer detection and treatment, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where late-stage diagnoses are more common. Despite advancements in awareness and education, breast cancer remains one of the most prevalent cancers among women, with thousands diagnosed annually. The campaign plays a pivotal role in transforming breast cancer from a taboo subject into an openly discussed health issue, empowering individuals to make informed decisions about their health. Additionally, it underscores the significance of ongoing research and genetic testing, which can help identify those at increased risk. Ultimately, Breast Cancer Awareness Month aims to foster a supportive community and encourage proactive health practices among individuals of all backgrounds.
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Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Breast tumors begin as a group of cancer cells in the breast; they can be either malignant or benign. Tumors that are benign are noncancerous growths that remain intact and do not spread beyond their original location. Malignant tumors are cancerous cells that invade surrounding tissues or spread (metastasize) to other areas of the body. The key to breast cancer recovery and treatment is early detection and awareness, and despite modern communications technology, there is still considerable ignorance among women—and men—on how to detect possible breast cancer and the treatments that are available to handle the disease.
For more than thirty years, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) has been the frontrunner for promoting awareness of breast cancer issues; its annual month-long programs have educated and empowered women to take charge of their own breast health by practicing regular breast self-exams, scheduling regular visits for professional breast examinations, and setting up consistent mammograms with their health-care provider.
Background
The goal of Breast Cancer Awareness Month is to highlight the disease and increase awareness of the importance of early detection and provide information about the various treatments available for dealing with the condition. Breast Cancer Awareness Month is celebrated each year in October in the United States as well as in the United Kingdom, South Africa, and many other countries around the world.
In 1993, President Bill Clinton proclaimed the third Friday in October as National Mammography Day. On this day, as well as throughout the month, women are urged to set an appointment for a mammography.
There are many different cancer-related awareness campaigns throughout the year. Some of them are coordinated by the American Cancer Society while many others are initiated by local and international organizations. The Prevent Cancer Foundation holds several awareness campaigns that are designed to educate the public about preventable cancers. And the Be Clear on Cancer campaigns run by Public Health England focus on the symptoms of specific cancers at different ages.
During Breast Cancer Awareness Month, there are events around the world, including runs and walks, and some landmark buildings are lit up with pink illumination to mark the day. The National Football League in the United States promotes breast cancer awareness by incorporating pink on and off the field.
The World Health Organization (WHO) promotes its own breast cancer control programs wherein they demonstrate to low- and middle-income countries how to detect early signs and symptoms of the disease and the importance of clinical breast examinations using mammography screening despite its high cost in many countries. The majority of deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, where most women are diagnosed in late stages of breast cancer due mainly to lack of early detection and obstacles to health services.
Impact
Breast Cancer Awareness Month began years ago in order to bring this disease to the forefront of peoples’ consciousness. Until that time, women with suffered the disease alone without any support system. There was little information available and few professional oncologists who would sit down and discuss the consequences of the condition or the choices available to the carriers.
Times have changed, and breast cancer has gone from a taboo subject to one of the most discussed topics among women. Campaigns offered by charities and organizations have proven their worth by making people more aware of how to detect breast cancer and the treatments available for it.
Despite all the money that has gone into cancer research, scientists are no closer to finding a cure for the disease, and it remains among the most common cancers in women. The American Cancer Society estimated that in 2023, 297,790 women would be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in the United States, and approximately 43,700 would die.
Breast cancer is also one of the leading causes of death among women around the world, both in the developed and developing countries. In low- and middle-income countries, the incidence has been rising steadily due to longer life expectancy, increased urbanization, and the adoption of Western lifestyles.
And although breast cancer in men is rare, the American Cancer Society estimated that 2,800 men would be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in 2023.
Awareness can take many forms, and continued research is one of them. Researchers have found that there are certain genes in the body that, if inherited, raise the risk of breast and/or ovarian cancer. In the more advanced countries, it is now possible to be tested for the presence of these genes—BRCA1, BRCA2, and PALB2—with a simple blood test or saliva sample.
The results of the genetic testing can be emotional for many people, and the decisions needed are difficult. Abnormal cancer genes account for only 10 percent of all breast cancers, so negative test results do not rule out the possibility of having the disease. In fact, a majority of people with breast cancer have no family history of the disease.
If a family member has a confirmed abnormal gene and the test results are negative, the risk of developing breast or ovarian cancer is no higher than in the general population. If the test result is positive, important decisions are called for. Taking a hormone therapy medicine such as tamoxifen or an oral contraceptive can reduce the risk of developing the disease. Additional clinical exams and breast screening—up to every six months instead of a year—as well as an MRI can be informative. Digital mammography (rather than the usual film screen type) can pinpoint a problem with increased accuracy.
An extreme choice that has become more popular among younger people is to surgically remove one or both breasts and/or ovaries before cancer has a chance to ever develop.
Breast Cancer Awareness Month and other such campaigns have opened the doors to women’s health information and have successfully supported women in their efforts to make life-saving choices about breast cancer.
Bibliography
"About Breast Cancer." National Breast Cancer Foundation, 15 Apr. 2020, www.nationalbreastcancer.org/about-breast-cancer/. Accessed 30 June 2023.
"Breast Cancer Awareness Month." Susan G. Komen, www.komen.org/about-komen/our-impact/breast-cancer/breast-cancer-awareness-month/. Accessed 20 June 2023.
"Genetic Testing for Breast Cancer." BreastCancer.org, 22 May 2023, www.breastcancer.org/genetic-testing. Accessed 20 June 2023.
"Key Statistics for Breast Cancer." American Cancer Society, 12 Jan. 2023, www.cancer.org/cancer/types/breast-cancer/about/how-common-is-breast-cancer.html. Accessed 20 June 2023.
"Key Statistics for Breast Cancer in Men." American Cancer Society, 12 Jan. 2023, www.cancer.org/cancer/types/breast-cancer-in-men/about/key-statistics.html. Accessed 20 June 2023.