Think pink: Breast Cancer Awareness month

Good morning all :-)
Isn't it great to be past the middle of the week? Did you know that October is breast cancer awareness month? Many of you may either know someone with the disease, or suffered with it yourself as breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK. Worldwide in 2008 almost 1.4 million women were diagnosed with breast cancer and in the last 25 years, the number of new cases of breast cancer has increased by around 50%. However it is not all bad news as more than 75% of women diagnosed with it will survive for at least 20 years and 67% of women will now survive beyond 20 years.

Certain factors increase your risk of breast cancer such as

• Close family history- if your mother, sister or daughter has been diagnosed with breast cancer you have double the risk of having it yourself
• Obesity can increase postmenopausal breast cancer by as much as 30%
• Use of hormone replacement therapy can increase your risk
• Current use of oral contraceptives can also increase your risk
• Drinking moderate to heavy amounts of alcohol is another risk factor.

Factors that decrease your risk include having a more active lifestyle.

It is important for women (and men) to be breast aware as men can also be diagnosed with breast cancer. Being breast aware means being familiar with how your breasts look and feel so that you know what is normal for you. The breast awareness 5 point code is as follows:

1. Know what is normal for you
2. Know what changes to look and feel for
3. Look and feel
4. Report any changes to your GP without delay
5. Attend routine breast screening if you are aged 50 or over.

In the UK women aged 50-64 who are registered with a GP are invited for screening every three years. Since 2004, this has been extended to include women aged 65-70 years. Women aged over 70 can request mammography once every three years, but currently they are not routinely invited. If you have any concerns you should talk to your family doctor.

For more information you can go to the Cancer Research UK site or the Breast Cancer Care site. 

For filofax lovers there is a Breast Cancer Campaign pocket organiser which contains specially printed breast cancer awareness pages and stickers to remind you when to check your breasts. There is a more expensive version in leather. Also for every organiser sold, Filofax will donate £2.20 or £2.50 (for the more expensive version) to Breast Cancer Campaign.

Breast cancer campaign pocket filofax (Image courtesy Filofax UK)

Breast cancer campaign pocket filofax (Image courtesy Filofax UK)

Remember to think pink and enjoy the rest of your day.