Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Today begins National Breast Cancer Awareness month, and with it comes the chance to highlight a cause very near to us all – the fight against Breast Cancer.   Breast Cancer affects women all over the world, with 1 woman every 2 minutes being diagnosed with this deadly disease.    Most everyone now has known someone touched by breast cancer.   October’s Pink-Out brings great awareness to the disease, and boosts efforts to support research aimed at preventing and finding a cure.   Sports teams go pink, fundraisers abound and special reminders to

Breast Cancer Research Foundation

Horsepower & Heels officially supports the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to achieving prevention and a cure for breast cancer by providing critical funding for cancer research worldwide to fuel advances in tumor biology, genetics, prevention, treatment, metastasis and survivorship.   They are the highest rated breast cancer organization in the US, and have donated half a billion dollars directly to research efforts since 1993, with over 88% of all funds going towards research efforts.

The Stats about Breast Cancer

(taken from BCRF)

In the United States:

• Breast cancer is the most common cancer among American women after skin cancer.
• 231,840 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women in 2015.
• 62,570 new cases of breast carcinoma in situ (non-invasive, has not invaded nearby tissue), including ductal carcinoma in situ and lobular carcinoma in situ.
• 40,290 women will die from breast cancer.
• 2,350 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in men.
• 440 men will die from breast cancer.
• The five-year relative survival rate for female invasive breast cancer patients has improved from 75 percent in the mid-1970s to 90 percent today.
• The five-year relative survival rate for women diagnosed with localized breast cancer (cancer that hasn’t spread to lymph nodes or outside the breast) is 98.5 percent. In cancer that has spread to nearby lymph nodes (regional stage) or to distant lymph nodes or organs (distant stage), the survival rate falls to 84 percent or 24 percent, respectively.
• There are more than 2.8 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S., including women still being treated and those who have completed treatment.

How you can help end Breast Cancer

It doesn’t matter how you choose to help.  What’s important is that we each take a moment this month to help end Breast Cancer.    Horsepower & Heels has an active Breast Cancer Research Foundation fundraiser that we encourage you to take part in and support.   Please, find the time to help be part of a cure.