Did You Know.....

• Every twelve minutes a woman in America dies of breast cancer.
• Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among women.
• Each year 1,300 men learn that they have breast cancer.
• In 2004, breast cancer was responsible for 15% of all US cancer deaths
• One out of seven women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime.
• In 2004, breast cancer was responsible for 32% of all cancer cases
• In 2001, there were an estimated 5,500 new breast cancer cases in the state of North Carolina.
• In 2001, there were an estimated 1,100 breast cancer deaths in the state of North Carolina.
• Approximately 77% of all breast cancer cases occur in women over 50 years of age.
• Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women today.
• In 2004, it is estimated by the American Cancer Society, that approximately 215,990 women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer.
• It is estimated for the year 2004 that 40,000 women will die from breast cancer.

 

A few years ago my aunt was diagnosed with invasive breast cancer, spreading through her lymphnodes this relentless disease consumed every moment of my aunts life. Intense radiation and chemotherapy treatments weakened her body and the thought of her own mortality diluted her soul. When people think of cancer, they often disregard the fact that they too, could one day be a victim. A year after my aunts initial diagnosis, she finally recieved the news that we had all prayed for...she was in remission. As a cancer survivor, I feel my aunt has earned a true badge of honor. To live through such and excrutiating experience and still stay so strong is unfathomable to someone like myself. I may never completely understand what my aunt experienced as she battled for her life, but I do believe that I can help make a difference by educating women and men on the topic of breast cancer. Below you will find an article I wrote discussing breast cancer at length( printer friendly attachment)as well as links to sites that will provide you with a surplus of information on this particular topic.

Printer friendly version for the breast cancer article

Printer friendly version for annotated bibliography

American Cancer Society

National Breast Cancer Foundation

The National Cancer Institute

Breast Cancer Information