Take Care of Your Girls!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and this is a reminder to take the time to take care of yourself and your girls! We are all busy, and some of us are guilty of not taking the time to take care of ourselves as we run around doing "life." Let's take a moment to reflect on this from the American Cancer Society:

• Breast Cancer is the most common cancer in women in the United States and makes up about 30% of all new female cancers each year.

• It is the second leading cause of cancer death in women. The good news is that breast cancer death rates have been steadily declining since 1989 due to early detection, increased awareness, and technological advancements.

• Black women have the highest death rate from breast cancer and have a higher chance of developing breast cancer before the age of 40 versus white women.

• At every age, black women are more likely to die from breast cancer than any other race.

• It is estimated that in 2022 there will be 287,850 new cases of invasive breast cancer in women.

Healthy women and men can develop breast cancer! Remember early detection is the key. Systemic racism/discrimination in public health care as it pertains to the detection and treatment of breast cancer has been noted. Things such as poverty rate, being underinsured, and late diagnosis can be deadly. We must all be our own advocates and advocate for family, friends and community.