October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

breast cancer awareness
Breast cancer typically produces no symptoms when the tumor is small and most treatable. Therefore, it is very important for women to follow recommended screening guidelines for detecting breast cancer at an early stage, before symptoms develop. When breast cancer has grown to a size that can be felt, the most common physical sign is a painless lump.

There is a website, The National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM), that is  a collaboration of national public service organizations, professional medical associations, and government agencies working together to promote breast cancer awareness, share information on the disease, and provide greater access to services.

If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with cancer, the American Cancer Society has an abundance of great resources to assist you and your caregiver.   For more than 40 years, the American Cancer Society’s Reach to Recovery program has helped people (female and male) cope with their breast cancer experience. This experience begins when someone is faced with the possibility of a breast cancer diagnosis and continues throughout the entire period that breast cancer remains a personal concern. (http://www.cancer.org/treatment/supportprogramsservices/reach-to-recovery) Image courtesy of http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/

Wear pink this month in honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.