October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, a 30-year campaign to bring awareness about the impact breast cancer has on millions around the globe. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, almost everyone on Earth has become conscientious of personal and global health and the challenges of keeping everyone safe—especially those who are immunocompromised facing life-threatening diseases such as breast cancer.

The CDC reports that around 255,000 women a year get diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States and tragically, around 42,000 women a year die from the disease. [1]

Except for skin cancers, breast cancer is the most common cancer in the United States for women with 1 in 8 women being diagnosed with breast cancer within their lifetime. [2]

Due to better screening and detection, increased awareness, and improved treatment options, death rates related to breast cancer have been on a downward trend since the 1990s.

While the statistics are staggering, the month of October can be about more than awareness; it can be about action, too. Here contributions individuals can make that can help in the fight against breast cancer:

 

Make a donation: A donation to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc helps provide women gain access to the education and support need, along with help fund screenings to make life saving mammograms more affordable.

 

Volunteer: It doesn’t matter your location because in many places you can volunteer in-person and virtually! Join thousands of volunteers in helping pack HOPE kits that go directly to women currently in treatment for breast cancer, write encouraging cards, pack Breast Health Kits, and much more.

 

Shop at Small Businesses Run by Survivors: In the United States there are over 3.8 million breast cancer survivors that continue to battle the financial hardship that their diagnoses brought on. Supporting local, small businesses run by breast cancer survivors helps support the survivors and help alleviate financial burden.

 

[1] https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/dcpc/resources/features/breastcancerawareness/index.htm

[2] https://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/breast-cancer-facts