Pink Is The New Color For Fall

I'm pushing the rusts, browns and autumn greens to the back of my closet for a while and opting for pink as my color of choice for fall.

It's not a fashion decision. It's more of a lifestyle statement.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the pink ribbon campaign, 

Symbolic color of breast-cancer awareness

which started in the early 1990s, represents the valiant struggle to bring the issue to the forefront of our health conscience.

It's working. But it's still not enough.

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"I treat too many patients that, for a number of reasons, are in advanced stages of the disease by the time they get to the operating room," said Dr. Erika Brinkmann, director of Breast Surgery at Holy Name Medical Center. "I believe that despite our best efforts, demographics and socio-economic status plays a part in women being diagnosed and treated for breast cancer as well as other cancers."

Brinkmann cites lack of education about health issues, lack of regular health care, insufficient or lack of insurance, and, in some cases, fear as possible reasons for late-stage diagnoses.

"If they don't know or don't have access to preventative care, like mammography or screenings, it makes early detection impossible," she said.

The American Cancer Society says that approximately 207,000 cases of breast cancer will be reported this year, with almost 40,000 cases resulting in deaths.

The numbers haven't changed much in the last 10 years, but the methods of diagnosis and treatment have advanced greatly.

"Years ago, the only option was a mastectomy and lymph node dissection," said Brinkmann. "Now because of the tools we have available for detection, we can perform less invasive procedures and offer radiation without the need to remove muscle."

Aggressive initiatives and innovative technology, such as digital mammography, which offers a more detailed picture of dense breast tissue, and three-dimensional tomosynthesis are helping doctors and health professionals detect breast cancers earlier.

"We need to make sure that women get the message, that early detection is so important and that there's help for them," Brinkmann said.

More importantly, women shouldn't think that they need to pay attention just once a year. Breast cancer doesn't pay attention to the calendar.

Some quick statistics:

--The average age at diagnosis is 61 for women in America.

--Breast cancers among men increased by about 1% each year between 1975 and 2002. Researchers are at a loss to explain the increase.

--Breast cancer is the second leading cause cancer death in women in the U.S. (Lung cancer tops the list).

--Breast cancer accounts for one out of three new cancers among women living in the United States.

--Approximately 2.5 million women living in the U.S. today have been treated for breast cancer. That number includes both survivors who are cancer-free and women undergoing treatment.

--A woman's risk of breast cancer approximately doubles if she has a first-degree relative (mother, sister, daughter) who has been diagnosed with breast cancer. About 20-30% of women diagnosed with breast cancer have a family history of breast cancer.

--About 70-80% of breast cancers occur in women who have no family history of breast cancer.

(source:teaneck.patch.com/)