October month means a lot to us, not just by being the beginning of last quarter of the year, not as it marks the beginning of festivities, but because it is also the chosen month for raising awareness about breast cancer.

Yes, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It is an annual program with the agenda of raising awareness about the disease, by asserting the importance of prevention and early detection and also to raise funds to further support the researchers to fight this war against life. Breast Cancer is a global issue affecting mostly women but men also and endangering their lives. It’s like a bad vamp posing threat and disrupting the natural healthy course of life.

What’s overwhelming is the fact that Breast Cancer has taken lead over cervical cancer and is now the most common cancer among all. Statistics show that in 2016 over 14.5 Lakhs cases of cancer will come, out of which 1.5 lakhs belong to the breast cancer category.

Hence all this indicates the need to create awareness about it. Not knowing the problem creates more hurdles to reduce this number. Many myths and wrong notions stop the people from getting the help they deserve and need, which means that understanding the risk factors and early detection are the best way to tackle this rising hydra.

 Risk Factors include:

Obesity, Family history, Increasing Age, Lifestyle changes like more consumption of alcohol, smoking, women with dense breast tissue, Exposure to radiation and estrogen can also increase the chances of having breast cancer. There has been a shift from age group 50-70 to 30-50 more prone to Breast cancer.

In this month, many charitable and government organizations, profitable and non-profitable companies, NGO’s work together arranging runs, races, fundraisers, events, campaigns on awareness. Women are encouraged to get the detection test – Mammography is done. Rest maintaining weight, good habits, eating right and exercising, keeping a tab and consulting doctors if you get any signs all go hand in hand in staying healthy.

Signs Include:

Lump in the breast, pain in breast or armpit, blood or any other discharge from the nipple, change in skin texture or shape of the breast. These do not necessarily mean cancer, but let the doctor be the judge of it and make sure to consult one.

The symbol associated mostly with Breast Cancer is the Pink Ribbon loop. Sporting Pink denotes support, and that you are part of the fight.

It’s not just because pink is considered a girly colour but it’s for us to stay in the ‘pink of our health’.