For 25 years, numerous public service organizations, medical associations, and government agencies have been working together to advance the public’s knowledge of breast cancer, declaring each October “National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.” During the 31-day event, organizations throughout the country join hands to educate the general public about the disease, promote widespread screening, and celebrate the lives of those who have won the battle against breast cancer.
The first National Breast Cancer Awareness Month took place in 1985 and was a week-long effort to fill the information void about the disease. Physicians and researchers used the event as an opportunity to appeal to a U.S. Congressional committee about the need for widespread access to mammography. These days, the month-long event encompasses so much more, including national and global symposiums on breast cancer and many walking or racing events to raise money for more and better breast cancer research. In addition, Friday, October 16 has been declared National Mammography Day and radiologists around the country are encouraged to offer free or discounted mammograms to those who might not otherwise be able to afford them.
The 25-year push for breast cancer awareness has played an integral part in the lowering of the mortality rate for breast cancer victims and the development of new treatments for the disease. A recent HealthDay article notes that breast cancer death rates continue to drop some 2% annually, a number that has been consistent since 1990. The decrease represents about 130,000 lives that have been spared, experts say. If breast cancer is caught early thanks to consistent screenings, the 5-year survival rate is about 98 percent. When the disease is found in its later stages, that same 5-year rate is only 24 percent.
Early screening is the key to most successful cancer treatment, but not all cancers can be detected in their early stages. With diseases such as mesothelioma cancer, a disease caused by asbestos exposure, victims are generally not diagnosed until the disease has reached Stage 3 or 4. This is because the disease has a long latency period and may not be detected for up to 50 years after asbestos exposure occurs. At that point, treatment is rarely successful, and even standard treatments like chemotherapy or radiation are only used for palliative purposes, aimed at keeping the patient as comfortable as possible.
More funds are needed for research into new and better mesothelioma treatments and early detection methods so that, like those who have breast cancer, mesothelioma victims may look forward to a more positive outcome. Though malignant mesothelioma is much less common than breast cancer, its effects are more deadly and few who are stricken currently survive more than a year or so after diagnosis.
Some awareness of mesothelioma has been raised through events similar to those for breast cancer, including national and international conferences where doctors and researchers address the difficulties of diagnosing and treating the disease, which affects a large number of U.S. veterans, specifically members of the U.S. Navy who worked aboard asbestos-laden ships and in World War II-era shipyards.
Despite the increased awareness, additional funding is needed in order to make more progress towards a cure for this aggressive form of cancer. Like those battling breast cancer, mesothelioma victims hope to someday have a fighting chance to conquer their disease.
