Help Spread Awareness About Breast Cancer This October

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Given that increasing awareness about breast cancer is one of the most important tools available to help fight this potentially deadly disease, Dr. Abhay Gupta would like to share several ways you can personally help spread awareness about breast cancer.

The Facts About Breast Cancer

Excluding certain forms of skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Breast cancer does not discriminate and can affect women of any race or ethnicity. In fact, approximately one in eight women in the U.S. will suffer from invasive breast cancer at some point in her life. Not to mention, breast cancer can even affect men; in 2013, more than 2,000 men were diagnosed with invasive breast cancer.

Although these statistics may seem dire, the good news is that the incidence of breast cancer in the U.S. has been decreasing since 2000. In addition, breast cancer mortality rates have been on the decline for more than 20 years. Many researchers attribute the decreasing breast cancer mortality rates to advances in treatment options, earlier detection through regular breast exams and increased awareness about the disease.

Your Role in the Fight Against Breast Cancer

For women and men with breast cancer, the best chance they have of surviving the disease comes with early detection and treatment. Detecting breast cancer early is best accomplished through routine breast exams.

Your role in the fight against breast cancer is to spread awareness about how important it is for women to perform monthly self breast exams as well as for women over the age of 50 to get a mammogram (breast X-ray) every two years. Women with increased risk factors for breast cancer (e.g., family history of breast cancer, presence of the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation, smokers, etc.) should start getting mammograms sooner.

What You Can Do to Increase Awareness

Start a conversation. Increasing awareness about the importance of early detection and treatment of breast cancer starts with creating a dialogue. Your goal is to get people talking about breast cancer. You can help jumpstart the conversation by wearing a pink ribbon on your lapel. Another option is to bake pink cupcakes or cookies and bring them into work or to a potluck. You can even dye your hair pink or wear pink shoes. Use your imagination to get people talking!

Participate in a local event. If you enjoy physical activity or just being outside, consider participating in a local fundraising event. Participants in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk cover 60 miles over the course of three days. The event organizers set up a camp for participants to relax in, at the end of each day. It is a great way to test your endurance, meet new friends, honor loved ones who have breast cancer and, of course, raise money and awareness for the cause. The Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk embarks from several cities around the United States, including San Diego.

If you cannot imagine covering 60 miles without a car, don’t worry — there are local events for you, too. Many cities host shorter 3K or 5K fun runs and walks. The American Cancer Society sponsors a 4-mile walk in San Diego, called the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk. You can complete the course in about an hour then head to brunch with other participants!

Fundraise or Donate. When all else fails, fundraising for or donating to a breast cancer charity is always an effective option. The money raised by breast cancer charities goes toward research, as well as to helping women in underserved communities get the breast cancer screenings and treatments they need.

No Effort Is Too Small

This October, do your part — no matter how big or small — to help increase awareness about breast cancer. Doing so may save a life!
To find out more about how you can increase awareness about breast cancer or to schedule a personal consultation with Dr. Gupta to learn about breast reconstruction surgery following lumpectomy or mastectomy for the treatment of breast cancer, please contact Gupta Plastic Surgery by calling (858) 408-6100.

Fun Fact of the Month: Think NFL players are too macho to don pink? Think again. The NFL runs a campaign in partnership with the American Cancer Society called “A Crucial Catch,” throughout the month of October. During this time, NFL players, coaches and referees wear pink cleats, sweatbands and other game apparel while pink coins and special game balls all help to raise awareness for the cause.