Think Pink In October: Support Breast Cancer Awareness2 min read

Why Think Pink?

Look around. If there are eight women in the room, one of them will likely get breast cancer at some point in her life. That’s a sobering statistic, but one every woman, and man, should know. The good news is, if detected early, the survivability rate for breast cancer patients is very high. In fact, if it is detected early, and is in the localized state, the 5-year relative survival rate is 100 percent. That’s why it is so important to raise awareness about early detection; there’s even an entire month dedicated to it. 

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, a worldwide campaign involving thousands of organizations that work to highlight the importance of breast cancer awareness, education and research.  

So What Can You Do? 

Supporting Breast Cancer Awareness month is involved or straightforward as you want it to be. The most important goal is to add your support to this universal message. 

Here are some ideas: 

• Encourage the women ages 40 to 49 to talk to their doctors about when to get a mammogram. 
• Organize an event in your community to talk with women 50 to 74 about getting mammograms every two years. 
• Add information about breast cancer screening to your company, church or group newsletter. 
• Display posters or printed materials about breast cancer screening in your organization’s break room. 
• Host an in-person or virtual fundraiser.
• Make a one-time or ongoing donation.
• Volunteer for a local Breast Cancer Awareness event.
• Share a personal story about how breast cancer has affected your life.
• Take part in a local Breast Cancer Awareness event.
• Assess your risk for breast cancer with this tool.
• Tweet about Breast Cancer Awareness Month. 
• Share educational content about breast exams on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.
• Download a web badge for your website.
• Download a guide about breast health.
• Wear pink, the international symbol of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. 

Each year in the United States, it is estimated that more than 200,000 women get breast cancer and more than 40,000 women die from the disease, according to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. You can help decrease the number of these deaths. The more women who get tested for breast cancer, the more chances of survival. Talk to your mother, aunt, grandmother, sister and daughter about Breast Cancer Awareness Month. You could just save a life. Think pink.