Breast Cancer Awareness

Susan G. Komen for the Cure will be hosting Bahamas Race for the Cure this Saturday, January, 14, 2012.   Breast Cancer awareness is extremely important in this country as the average age for detection is 42 years of age compared to the age of 62 in the U.S.  It is suggested that Bahamian women start having mammograms as young as 30 years old!  That's a harsh reality, but that's our reality.  Susan G. Komen for the cure works diligently in researching the reasons why this is the case here, mainly due to genetics.  This race is to raise funds so that they can continue to research and fight against this cruel disease. Whether you have been diagnosed or know someone who has been diagnosed this is an awesome event to show your support.  You can visit the website to find out more information or even sign up. www.marathonforthecure.org. I will definitely be there!

Below is a little snippet from the main Susan G. Komen website which I encourage you to visit (http://ww5.komen.org/AboutUs/AboutUs.html) and read more about Susan G. Komen and her story. The site is filled with great information.  Please take the time to visit.

Our Work

Susan G. Komen for the Cure is fighting every minute of every day to finish what we started and achieve our vision of a world without breast cancer.

 

Fulfilling the Promise

Nancy G. Brinker promised her dying sister, Susan G. Komen, she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever. In 1982, that promise became Susan G. Komen for the Cure and launched the global breast cancer movement. Today, Komen for the Cure is the world’s largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists fighting to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures. Thanks to events like the Komen Race for the Cure, we have invested more than $1.9 billion to fulfill our promise, becoming the largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer in the world.

 

Breast Cancer Then and Now

Since 1982, Komen for the Cure has played a critical role in every major advance in the fight against breast cancer – transforming how the world talks about and treats this disease and helping to turn millions of breast cancer patients into breast cancer survivors. We are proud of our contribution to some real victories:

• More early detection – nearly 75 percent of women over 40 years old now receive regular mammograms, the single most effective tool for detecting breast cancer early (in 1982, less than 30 percent received a clinical exam).
• More hope – the five-year survival rate for breast cancer, when caught early before it spreads beyond the breast, is now 98 percent (compared to 74 percent in 1982).
• More research – the federal government now devotes more than $900 million each year to breast cancer research, treatment and prevention (compared to $30 million in 1982).
• More survivors – America’s 2.5 million breast cancers survivors, the largest group of cancer survivors in the U.S., are a living testament to the power of society and science to save lives.