Why do you see so much pink every October? October is Breast Cancer Awareness, which is an annual campaign by major breast cancer organizations to increase awareness of the disease. This includes education the public about early detection, the cause, diagnosis, treatment, and support for survivors.

In an effort to support Breast Cancer Awareness I wanted to post a blog about just that - Breast Cancer.

Here are the facts:

• About 1 in 8 women in the US will develop breast cancer over the course of their lifetime.
• Breast Cancer death rates are 2nd only to lung cancer.
• Early detection saves lives.

I would like to focus on the final fact - early detection saves lives. Did you know that some doctors are so confident that they can treat Stage I breast cancer that they give patients a 100 percent five-year survival rate. Even in cases with a slightly more advanced stage of the disease, there are reasons to be extremely optimistic. For instance, those with Stage IIA have a 92 percent chance of surviving the disease for at least 5 years and even those with Stage IIIB breast cancer have a 54 percent survival rate.

The 2 best forms of early detection are:

• Under the age of 40: Monthly Self Exams. Women should perform monthly self exams to help locate potentially cancerous masses before they spread to other parts of the body. Women who find lumps or irregularities are able to see treatment while the cancer is in an early stage.
• Over the age of 40: Regular Breast Cancer Screening. And by this I mean Mammogram. The biggest advantage of regular breast cancer screening is that it can recognize warning signs before you notice any symptoms. A breast cancer screening can locate a mass before it is large enough to feel during a self-exam. The earlier the cancer is caught the higher the survival rate.

As women we often forget to take care of ourselves - so don't wait, do it now...schedule your Mammogram or visit this link for Easy Self Breast Exam.