Breast Cancer Awareness and Musiq: YES!

If I weren’t a happily married woman, or didn’t have enough conducive things going on in my life to afford me the time to be an R&B stalker, I would totally drive up to Philly and kiss Musiq right on the mouth for this here gem!

You all know how I feel about Breast Cancer Awareness (sadly, I just found out that a dear friend/mentor was diagnosed just this week), so learning that Musiq Soulchild had recently included the role of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Circle of Promise Ambassador to his successful résumé; I was over the moon.  With the sort of exposure that Musiq can offer to the foundation and toward combatting this deadly disease, it is likely that even more young women of color will become engaged in the Breast Cancer Awareness dialog and movement.

Check out his newest video “Yes”, directed by Juwan Lee, and see if you don’t shed at least one tear.  The video also cameos a wealth of beautiful breast cancer survivors from the Atlanta area; just fabulous.

All Pink Everything: National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Every October, The Fanny Pack recognizes the strides, support and continued social involvement carried out in the research and fight against Breast Cancer, and this October is no different.

During National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, breast cancer charities from all over the world campaign to increase the awareness of this devastating disease and work to raise funds for research into its cause, treatment and cure.  These charities focus on support for those who are currently battling breast cancer but also emphasize preventative steps that women can take to help reduce breast cancer risks and ensure long, healthy lives.

One major component in the fight against breast cancer is to adopt and maintain healthy habits.  Understanding the sorts of factors that can both positively and adversely affect your health is the first step toward prevention, and according to the staff at the Mayo Clinic, prevention really is worth a pound of cure.  Some easy but effective steps that you can take to prevent breast cancer include:

• Limiting alcohol intake
• Managing a healthy weight
• Engaging in plenty of physical activity
• Avoiding environmental pollutants
• Maintaining a healthy low-fat diet

Now, as wonderful as it would be for all women to be able to follow these simple guidelines and forever vanquish breast cancer, the reality is that for some women (5% – 10%), breast cancer is a hereditary disease.  Fortunately however, affected genes don’t have to be a death sentence.  Mammograms and early detection procedures are equally essential in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment and should be regularly performed in women over 40.

Last year, 19% of the new breast cancer cases reported in the United States resulted in death.  Anyone who has ever suffered through this disease or lost someone close as a result of it knows that this statistic is more than unacceptable.  That is why I am challenging each of you to help take a stand against breast cancer.  Support the various breast cancer charities this month (and beyond); not simply through your pocketbook, but with your time as well.  Get educated about this disease and promote prevention.  Together, we can all create a world where breast cancer becomes a thing of the past.

Fight Like A Girl!

Happy October Pack!  I cannot believe that in a little less than three months, we will be ringing in another New Year.  But before I start anticipating year-end closeout sales and resolutions, let me focus on the good things still going on this year.  October officially marks National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and affords women the opportunity to be better versed on matters of breast health and education.

With the exception of skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the United States.   It is also the second leading cause of cancer death in women (lung cancer being the first).  According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 192,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed among women in the United States this year. In addition, an estimated 40,000 women are expected to die from the disease each year. Today, there are about 2.5 million breast cancer survivors living in the United States.

And while it is certainly important for all women to embrace preemptive measures, it is especially vital that sistahs both young and older take their breast health seriously.  Research from the American Cancer Society finds that although African-American women have a slightly lower occurrence of breast cancer after age 40 than Caucasian women, we have a slightly higher incidence rate of breast cancer before age 40. Conversely, African-American women are more likely than any other group to die from breast cancer at every age.

Because of the aggressive nature of this disease, it is important that women not only get as much information as possible about breast cancer and how it develops, but we must also be proactive in our methods of prevention through mammography screening, regular clinical breast exams, and breast self-examinations. 

      

But although I’m talking statistics and prevention, what I have found to be incredible encouraging over the past few years is the fact that support and representation for the eradication of this disease is not simply limited to breast cancer survivors, people who are either suffering through or know someone who has the disease or even just women.  Whether it’s local communities establishing  “PINK OUT” fundraisers, companies like Purina donating a portion of their sales to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, The Georgia Aquarium’s non-to-subtle makeover, or the manliest athletes around donning pink all over during the month of October, it just goes to show that breast cancer is a disease that directly and indirectly affects millions, but just as many are determined to fight it like a girl!