Some people think of October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month – and indeed we all need to be aware that this year about 2,700 women in BC will be diagnosed with this dreaded disease and some 650 will die of it.

But it’s not about the numbers, it’s about people – those 2,700 women are mothers, sisters, daughters and friends.  They have people who care about them, family and friends that are also affected.

Today I’m thinking about my colleague, Susan Whelan (CEO of the Canadian Cancer Society in Ontario), who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer after only four months in her new position, and who recently stepped down from her position to concentrate on her personal battle with this disease. What an unfortunate event at the start of an exciting, new opportunity. I know Susan is a strong person and I expect her to not only become a breast cancer survivor but to go on to become a thrivor.

We should also think about October as Breast Health Month. As with most cancers, there’s not enough focus on prevention – or more accurately, how to reduce the risk of breast cancer in the first place.

Of course there are some risk factors that can’t be easily controlled, such as being a woman, getting older, having few or no children, or even being tall! But there are many steps we can take to stay healthy:

• Being physically active
• Not smoking
• Limiting alcohol
• Supplementing with Vitamin D
• Avoiding hormone replacement therapy

And if you’ve already had breast cancer, this list is probably even more important.

So, breast wishes, not only in the month of October but in all the other 11 months as well.

 

You can help spread the word about the importance of breast health.

 

It’s simple — send a Boob-a-Gram  in October to the women you love to remind them about the importance of mammograms and breast health.