Embracing Breast Cancer Awareness Month

As October arrives, trees shower us with waves of falling leaves in beautiful shades of red, orange, yellow, and brown.

But this month, there’s only one color on our mind: pink.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the time we take to spread awareness about the impact breast cancer has on women, their families, and their communities.

One out of every eight women will be confronted with a breast cancer diagnosis at some point in their lives. The National Breast Cancer Foundation estimates that by the time 2023 is through, over 300,000 men and women will have become diagnosed.

Those are sobering statistics, but here’s the good news: With awareness, advanced screening, and early treatment, breast cancer can be defeated.

That’s why, for October, Spec Rubber and thousands of businesses across the country are adding pink to our favorite fall colors – to help fight and overcome this disease.

How Turning Pink Helps Turn the Tide Against Cancer

Don’t underestimate the power of awareness.

Like all cancers, breast cancer begins as a clump of rogue cells that starts small. At first, you can’t notice that it’s there. It hides and bides its time, gathering size and strength.

But at a critical juncture, the cancer announces itself – or rather, makes itself detectable, in the form of various early warning signs. These breast cancer symptoms can manifest as anything from the typical lump in the breast, to a change in skin texture, or any unexplained swelling or change in size.

If the cancer is caught at this early, localized stage – meaning it hasn’t yet spread outside of the breast – then the 5-year survival rate is 99%.

If it isn’t, then breast cancer can spread, sometimes rapidly and aggressively – and eventually kill.

Awareness is crucial to increase our chances of taking on and conquering this insidious disease. According to the American Cancer Society, people can dramatically increase their chances of detecting breast cancer early by:

Getting a risk assessment from their doctor.
Paying attention to any unusual changes in their breasts and bodies.
Receive regular screening with a mammogram.

Mammograms are key. They’re a doctor’s main tool for early detection – but far too many women don’t get this crucial screening on an annual basis (and many never do). Women who are at a higher risk of breast cancer due to genetics or other health factors should get a mammogram and breast MRI once a year, starting at age 30 – but if they never get assessed, they’ll never know if they’re at a higher risk.

Without a doubt, America’s greatest weapon against breast cancer is awareness, leading to early detection. Turning the country pink in October can help turn the tide – and turn tragedy into triumph.

How We Can All Do Our Part

It’s all well and good to talk about why awareness is important, but how can we make it happen on an individual and company level?

Here are a few ways you can help:

Donate to a charity that supports breast cancer research
Share links like this one with your friends and families via social media and use the hashtag #wearpink
Participate in fundraising events like Race for the Cure or fundraising challenges on social media
Volunteer to hand out materials at community engagement events
Wear pink ribbons, t-shirts, hats, buttons, and anything else that gets the message across (turn your body into a breast cancer billboard, y’all)
Take someone to the doctor for a screening

At Spec Rubber, we’re making sure our teammates know the importance of this month and how they can get screened and diagnosed as early as possible. Spec Rubber proudly joins our community each year in events and initiatives that drive awareness and contribute vital funds to the fight.

Breast cancer is a big deal. It’s an all-in, all-hands-on-deck type of challenge that, together, we can take on and win.

Pink isn’t normally a fall color. You won’t find many pink leaves on the ground or pink pumpkins in the patch.

But this October, to spread hope and unite our communities against breast cancer, let’s make pink the best fall color of them all – and save lives.