For the month of October, in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness, I will be bringing you the tales of those who have fought breast cancer. From women and men, the famous and the not so famous.

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Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among women in the US and is the leading cause of cancer deaths among women age 40-59. It is second only to lung cancer as a cause of cancer death among women.

Breast cancer accounts for one of every three cancer diagnoses in women. Nearly 200,000 women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer this year and about 40,000 women will die from breast cancer this year. An additional 60,000 new cases of in situ breast cancer are expected to occur in women this year.

There are over two million breast cancer survivors alive today in the U.S. and the number of deaths due to breast cancer seems to be declining. A combination of earlier detection and more effective treatment is thought to be responsible for these declining rates.

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To kick off Breast Cancer Awareness Month I thought it would be appropriate to start with Susan G. Komen, a name we are all familiar with ( If you are not, then you must be living under a rock!).

The following is from the Susan G. Komen for the Cure website.
Susan G. Komen fought breast cancer with her heart, body and soul. Throughout her diagnosis, treatments, and endless days in the hospital, she spent her time thinking of ways to make life better for other women battling breast cancer instead of worrying about her own situation. That concern for others continued even as Susan neared the end of her fight. Moved by Susan’s compassion for others and committed to making a difference, Nancy G. Brinker promised her sister that she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever.

That promise is now Susan G. Komen for the Cure®, the global leader of the breast cancer movement, having invested more than $1 billion since inception in 1982. As the world’s largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists, we’re working together to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures. Thanks to events like the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure®, and generous contributions from our partners, sponsors and fellow supporters, we have become the largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer in the world.

If you would like to learn more about the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, I encourage you to check out their website here. If you would like to donate to the foundation please click on the word DONATE below.

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