October 1st marked the first day of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This year, 2024, is the 39th anniversary of the foundation of the month, with the first being celebrated in October of 1985.
The month’s creation resulted from a partnership between the American Cancer Society and the Pharmaceutical Division of Imperial Chemical Industries. Originally, the month was meant to promote mammograms, an x-ray of breast tissue that can detect breast cancer and other breast diseases, instead of the cancer itself.
The initiative was sponsored by former First Lady and breast cancer survivor Betsy Ford, who used her social position to bring awareness. Though, at the time, the month was not yet associated with the pink ribbon we would come to know it with. As late as 1992, the ribbon was peach.
Peach was the color chosen by Charlotte Haley, who came up with using the ribbon first. She handmade peach-colored loops in memory of her mother, sister, and grandmother. Each battled breast cancer.
Self Magazine published a story about Haley and reached out for rights to the ribbon, but were refused. As a result, they published their following Breast Cancer Awareness issue with a pink ribbon. Thus, the iconic pink ribbon became associated with the month. It is so iconic that even wearing the color pink is used to raise breast cancer awareness.
Miami Lakes Educational Center plans on joining in on the month with their own wear-pink day. Students will be able to show their support for breast cancer survivors by wearing a pink shirt to school.
Yet, despite how well-known the month and its symbols are, not many know much about breast cancer itself. For instance, few are aware that women have a 1 in 8 chance of developing breast cancer. As a result, it accounts for 30% of all new cancers found in women every year. It is the second leading cause of cancer death in women.
Not only does breast cancer affect women but also, although rarely, men. They account for 1 out of 100 of all diagnosed breast cancers. Men suffer from higher mortality rates from this cancer. The five-year overall survival after diagnoses for men was 77.6% as compared to 86.4% for women.
“I know there’s like a one in a hundred chance for men to get it, but, even if it’s 1%, men should still check. Maybe not as often, like every 2 to 3 years, but every man, or like, if you’re going to the doctor, you should get a breast cancer checkup just in case. It’s not impossible. Yeah. It can still happen. You, maybe you are that one person. Maybe you are that one person, and you don’t know,” said junior Juan-Pablo Maldonaldo.
Despite the lack of knowledge some have, it’s clear that the establishment of the month and the awareness it brings has indeed helped convince people to get cancer screenings that can help the early discovery of cancer and treatment. Since 1982, the death rates for breast cancer have steadily dropped for an overall decline of 42% through 2021. This is attributed to better cancer detection, and, most importantly, raised awareness.
“Though even now some people believe there is not enough awareness, ‘Breast Cancer Month’ is a month dedicated to women all over the world who have breast cancer. In my family, my grandma had breast cancer in her left breast and she had to get a double mastectomy. We need to show more support for people, for women who have breast cancer, because the research of breast cancer is very undervalued,” said junior Gabriella Moreno.
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