Breast cancer came to the forefront in the 1980’s when former first lady Betty Ford, along with her daughter, Susan, told of fighting the disease. Prior to that, people didn’t talk much about breast cancer. With sharing this experience, an open dialogue started, which encouraged health organizations to bring more attention to the disease. This led to National Breast Cancer Awareness Month being established.
In 2009, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month began to bring even more awareness to the public. Although October is the month of observance, all of the non-profits and government organizations that participate are active all year long.
With awareness came programs to help women find early treatment and screenings. Many programs are now available for women to get yearly mammograms at little or no cost. As there is no sure cure for breast cancer, it is imperative that these tests are done. Early detection is key to successful treatment. The good news is that since 1990, death due to breast cancer has fallen drastically. This is in part due to efforts to bring awareness, help women get the proper screenings, and to raise funding for new treatments for women who are diagnosed.
We can all get involved. It can be as simple as writing a check to make a donation, but you really don’t have to spend a dime to help. You can participate in a walk held by many organizations, where you will get donations for each mile you walk, or you can be conscious of the products you buy regularly, and opt for the ones that are making a donation when you purchase their products.
With one in eight of all women in the United States being diagnosed with breast cancer, we will be, if we have not already, had our lives touched by the disease. Research has brought us a long way as far as treatment goes, but we still have to battling until scientists find a cure.
Tweet This Post