Hello October!

Hello October!

It is

BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

and

time to Ride over Cancer

to do those mammograms

to STAND UP TO CANCER

to ride all over your body with self checks, with telling your friends to spread the word,

to stand with and for your friends

in rolling out on awareness.

...

It's time to let men know that they too need to note any changes in themselves, their breasts and to report to their physicians as we educate ALL

while reminding them that CANCER

does not discriminate

against anyone,

children, race, gender, age.

Awareness, education, demands that we will no longer accept less while trying to grasp the facts that Breast Cancer continues to devastate and change the lives of millions and also take the lives of so many in our modern world we live in.

...

CANCER SUCKS

...

U.S. Breast Cancer Statistics for 2011

from the Breast Cancer Organization

to kick off the month of awareness:

 

• About 1 in 8 U.S. women (just under 12%) will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime.
• In 2011, an estimated 230,480 new cases of invasive breast cancer were expected to be diagnosed in women in the U.S., along with 57,650 new cases of non-invasive (in situ) breast cancer.
• About 2,140 new cases of invasive breast cancer were expected to be diagnosed in men in 2011. A man’s lifetime risk of breast cancer is about 1 in 1,000.
• From 1999 to 2005, breast cancer incidence rates in the U.S. decreased by about 2% per year. The decrease was seen only in women aged 50 and older. One theory is that this decrease was partially due to the reduced use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) by women after the results of a large study called the Women’s Health Initiative were published in 2002. These results suggested a connection between HRT and increased breast cancer risk.
• About 39,520 women in the U.S. were expected to die in 2011 from breast cancer, though death rates have been decreasing since 1990 — especially in women under 50. These decreases are thought to be the result of treatment advances, earlier detection through screening, and increased awareness.
• For women in the U.S., breast cancer death rates are higher than those for any other cancer, besides lung cancer.
• Besides skin cancer, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among American women. Just under 30% of cancers in women are breast cancers.
• White women are slightly more likely to develop breast cancer than African-American women. However, in women under 45, breast cancer is more common in African-American women than white women. Overall, African-American women are more likely to die of breast cancer. Asian, Hispanic, and Native-American women have a lower risk of developing and dying from breast cancer.
• In 2011, there were more than 2.6 million breast cancer survivors in the US.
• A woman’s risk of breast cancer approximately doubles if she has a first-degree relative (mother, sister, daughter) who has been diagnosed with breast cancer. About 15% of women who get breast cancer have a family member diagnosed with it.
• About 5-10% of breast cancers can be linked to gene mutations (abnormal changes) inherited from one’s mother or father. Mutations of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are the most common. Women with these mutations have up to an 80% risk of developing breast cancer during their lifetime, and they are more likely to be diagnosed at a younger age (before menopause). An increased ovarian cancer risk is also associated with these genetic mutations.
• In men, about 1 in 10 breast cancers are believed to be due to BRCA2 mutations, and even fewer cases to BRCA1 mutations.
• About 85% of breast cancers occur in women who have no family history of breast cancer. These occur due to genetic mutations that happen as a result of the aging process and life in general, rather than inherited mutations.
• The most significant risk factors for breast cancer are gender (being a woman) and age (growing older).

-----

Call today friends,

schedule those mammograms

and begin to let everyone you know

increase their own awareness

while taking charge of their bodies, health, advocacy of those who are fighting the fight

of ALL CANCERS

and in need of others to stand UP, stand by

with a hand extended while offering care, compassion and warpaint on

for the battle against 

Cancer.

...

Hello October

as we increase awareness of Breast Cancer

and stand with those who are fighting the fight, the warriors

the organizations who are doing so much for so many...

May we also go into this spectacular month

with the harvest, the joy, the 

changing of colors

with true bliss and excitement

for all that is within our reach

and all that is to come!

STOMP

...

A Shout out to our warrior

Chris V. who I noticed dropped in yesterday in comments, a warrior who fought Breast Cancer and left the "girls" in NY after a double mastectomy and now working and living her life wide open as she has learned to love "pink" noticing the wonderment of butterflies and beauty in sunsets and surroundings without those things hanging on her chest that threatened her precious life.

...

 

May you have the best beginning of a month ever on this

first day of October!

...

Walk in Beauty

DRSES