Breast cancer is a disease that affects all women in one way or another. Some women get it themselves; others know someone who has or has had it. It would be difficult to find a woman who does not fit into one of these categories.
Breast cancer is a major killer of women in the United States and beyond. But there is one way to fight it: STAY INFORMED!!! The most important thing a woman of ANY age can do for herself is to be aware of the signs of breast cancer and to perform monthly self-examinations of her breasts to keep track of her own health.
Another important thing we can do to fight this disease is to KEEP TALKING ABOUT IT!!! Spread the word to your mothers, sisters, aunts, grandmothers, and friends. Do not let anyone you know remain clueless about this horrible disease. Ignorance can mean death.
The Komen Foundation tells us that women with breast cancer have a 95% survival rate if the disease is detected early enough. And it is important to know that a very small percentage of breast cancer patients had mothers or grandmothers with the disease.
Contrary to popular belief, breast cancer is rarely hereditary.
However, history of cancer in the family IS considered to be one of the risk factors of breast cancer. Another risk factor is age - women over 50 are more likely to get breast cancer, but all women over the age of 40 should get monthly mammograms, and younger women have been known to contract the disease
Other signs include having an early menstruation, a late menopause, having children after the age of 30 or not having children at all, and having had breast cancer before.
Read on to find out how Jessica got involved in the fight against breast cancer (and how YOU can too!)...
I first got involved with the fight against breast cancer when I joined my sorority. Our national philanthropy is the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, so we participate in different activities every year to fund research and treatments of breast cancer. For example, we get involved with Don't Be A Fool Day (breast cancer information distributed in our community), the Pony Express (women motorcyclists for the fight against breast cancer), Race for the Cure (an anti-breast cancer relay), and we recently held a large golf outing at my chapter and were able to raise almost $1000 for the Susan G. Komen Foundation!
We consider anything we can do for this noble cause to be worth our time. It has been very rewarding for me to know that I am involved with an organization that holds such an important cause so close to its heart.
I urge you ALL to get involved and to get informed!!!
PARTICIPATE in breast cancer research fund raisers in your area, EDUCATE the women in your life about this disease, so that they will be fully armed to fight it and let the MEN in your life know about breast cancer too. Men are not immune.
So remember, even though most girls are too young to have any serious concerns about breast cancer, it's never too early to get involved in the battle against this crippling disease.!
You're never to young to think about what careers you are interested in either! Check out Girl Zone's Get A Job for tons of info on way cool careers...
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