Q: Does designating October as National Breast Cancer Awareness month make a difference?
A: Yes, especially if the three-decades-strong effort to rally public awareness compels even one of our loved ones to learn about the risk factors and schedule her first cancer screening. My wife Barbara is a 27-year breast cancer survivor. Like many survivors, Barbara attributes early detection and treatment with recovery and survival. This summer’s Ice Bucket Challenge confirms what a difference that messaging and outreach can make to capture public awareness and generate financial support for research, treatment and care. During the month of October, national, state and local organizers pursue just about every imaginable approach to spread awareness, create partnerships, educate the public and raise money for medical research to identify life-saving screenings and more effective, less harmful treatments. From groceries to video games and sporting events, the month of October is saturated with opportunities to raise awareness and raise money to help fight a disease that has year-round impact on patients, survivors, victims and their families. With a goal to find a cure for breast cancer in our lifetimes, patient advocates, medical researchers, health care professionals, family members and volunteers are relentless in their quest to make a difference.
Designating the month of October as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month brings people together for a common cause. It unites survivors and mourners to help others coping with shared experiences. That’s a good thing. Take advantage of the publicity to encourage loved ones to talk to their health care professional about symptoms, risk factors, screenings and preventive medical choices. Since Barbara’s diagnosis in 1987, promising medical advances keep unlocking ways to diagnose, treat, prevent and find a cure to this second-leading cancer killer of women. Let’s keep moving in the right direction.
Q: How pervasive is breast cancer?
A: About one of every eight women born today will be diagnosed with breast cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute. More than 230,000 women and 2,000 men will face a breast cancer diagnosis in 2014. Of those, 40,000 individuals will lose their lives to this disease by year’s end. Raising awareness saves lives and builds support for those living with the disease and managing treatments. It fosters an invaluable lifeline to patients and families. A recent report by the American Cancer Society and National Cancer Institute says nearly 14.5 million cancer survivors are alive today in the United States. Estimates project survivors will reach nearly 19 million by 2024. The American Cancer Society says breast cancer deaths in the U.S. have dropped 34 percent since 1990. Receiving a cancer diagnosis is a shattering experience for patients and their families. That’s why it’s so important for people to know the risk factors and take advantage of early detection and screening. The number one risk factor is age. Choosing healthy lifestyles and following early, consistent screening recommendations will increase the odds Iowans will celebrate the gift of life with loved ones for many years to come.