Cancer can affect the body in many ways and can be detected in four different stages. Some forms of cancers are easier to detect and treat while others are much harder. It mainly depends on where and when the cancer is found. While there are some rare life threatening forms of this disease there are also some cancers that are commonly found and still have a big impact on someone’s life. That is why we dedicate a certain month of awareness to one of cancer’s forms, breast cancer.

For the last 35 years, October has been used as a participation month to bring awareness to the horrible disease, breast cancer. One form of participation is going to events that help with funding research and advanced technology for breast cancer. Most of these events involve physical activity but some can be just sitting down and eating. These events can be fun and inspiring for its participants and give so much to the people who suffer from breast cancer. Even though the events can be fun not everyone has time to go, which is why you can just wear a pink article of clothing throughout this month to participate. When you wear pink you show the patients that suffer this disease that they are not alone.

Although breast cancer has gone down an incredible rate since the early 2000s, it is still the second most common cancer found in American women. In this year alone there is an estimated 266,120 new cases of invasive breast cancer along with 63,690 other cases of non-invasive.  In fact, studies have shown that 1 out of every 8 American women (around 12.4%) will develop invasive breast cancer. Adding to the 3.1 million woman in the U.S that have already been diagnosed, all the way up to January 2018, with breast cancer.

Even though the death rates have gone down significantly since 1989, it is still taking the lives of many of its patients. Breast cancer has the second most common death toll on women in the United States. This year breast cancer is estimated to take the lives of 40,290 American women.

The most important and dangerous factors for having breast cancer is age and gender. It  is found mainly in women for many reasons, and women under 50 have a lower chance of dying from it. The chances are doubled for a woman who has a mother, sister, or daughter that has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Even though the chances are doubled by inherited genes, the majority of breast cancer patients have a genetic mutation due to age or life.  Out of all the women in the United States, African-American women under forty-five are mostly likely to be diagnosed and die from breast cancer.

Many reasons for the decline of breast cancer is thanks to treatment advances, early detection, and an increasing amount of awareness. Bringing awareness to breast cancer or any cancer for that matter can help majorly. It shows patients that they still have a fight and are not alone in their battle. Awareness brings funds for research and technology, it shows the importance for a solution of the issue. By just wearing a simple piece of pink ribbon helps with someone’s life.