October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

01 Oct October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Great strides are being made in the fight against breast cancer. Screening and increased awareness have led to earlier detection. Combine that will the more effective treatments that have been developed and, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS), a woman’s risk of dying of breast dropped 38 percent between the late 1980s and 2014.

Thousands of lives have been saved but breast cancer is still the second leading cause of cancer death in women. As the ACS reports, only lung cancer kills more women each year.

No one should have to face this awful disease alone.  The American Cancer Society can help you find the resources and the answers you need if you or someone you love is concerned about developing breast cancer, have been recently diagnosed or are going through treatment.

Susan G. Komen Northeast Ohio has a number of events scheduled this month that support its mission of saving lives by meeting the most critical needs in our communities and investing in breakthrough research to prevent and cure breast cancer.

Cleveland Cavaliers Breast Cancer Game: Presented by Cleveland Clinic and Komen NEO – Saturday, October 21st at 8pm

Join the Cleveland Cavaliers for our Breast Cancer Awareness Night presented by Cleveland Clinic and Komen Northeast Ohio!  Wear pink to the Cavs game on Saturday, October 21st as we #PinkTheQ and create awareness for this amazing cause. $10 for every ticket purchased through this offer will go directly back to support Cleveland Clinic and Komen Northeast Ohio.

Click HERE to buy tickets and use the code: KOMEN

“Waitress” Broadway Show Pink Ribbon Night – Wednesday, November 1st

Come out and celebrate the first all female creative team on Broadway! A portion of the ticket sales will go directly to Susan G. Komen Northeast Ohio. All ticket purchases include a water bottle, redeemable at the show. Purchase tickets HERE

Here are the facts:

The American Cancer Society’s estimates for breast cancer in the United States for 2017 are:

• About 252,710 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women.
• About 63,410 new cases of carcinoma in situ (CIS) will be diagnosed (CIS is non-invasive and is the earliest form of breast cancer).
• About 40,610 women will die from breast cancer.
• While black and white women get breast cancer at roughly the same rate, black women are more likely to die from it.

At this time, there are more than 3.1 million people with a history of breast cancer in the United States. (This includes women still being treated and those who have completed treatment.)

There are certain things that may give you at a higher risk of being struck by breast cancer, again from the American Cancer Society:

• Limited but accumulating research indicates that smoking may slightly increase breast cancer risk, particularly long-term, heavy smoking and among women who start smoking before their first pregnancy.
• Obesity increases the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer. Risk is about 1.5 times higher in overweight women and about 2 times higher in obese women than in lean women.
• Growing evidence suggests that women who get regular physical activity have a 10%-25% lower risk of breast cancer compared to women who are inactive, with stronger evidence for postmenopausal than premenopausal women.
• Numerous studies have confirmed that alcohol consumption increases the risk of breast cancer in women by about 7%-10% for each one drink of alcohol consumed per day on average. Women who have 2-3 alcoholic drinks per day have a 20 percent higher risk of breast cancer compared to non-drinkers.

Those of us at Illusion Unlimited want to encourage you to keep up with your monthly self-checks and talk to your doctor if you have an elevated risk for breast cancer. At our hair salon in Parma, our hair salon in Strongsville and our Broadview Heights location, we all know women who have faced a diagnosis of breast cancer.  We need to help take care of each other! Strength is beautiful and strength is always in style – in Parma, Poughkeepsie or Paris!