National Breast Cancer Awareness Month Celebrates 25th Anniversary

Wilmington, DE - (September 29, 2009) /PRNewswire/ — This October the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) coalition celebrates the courage of First Lady Betty Ford and all breast cancer survivors to follow, who found the courage to speak openly about breast cancer and confront the disease head on. From its first advocates 25 years ago, NBCAM helped bring women together to evolve the breast cancer dialogue. Prior to efforts from survivors and organizations like NBCAM, "breast cancer" was a disease that women didn't talk about and feared as a death sentence.

"Thanks to early detection and improvements in treatment, more women are surviving breast cancer, remaining disease-free, and living longer, healthier lives," said Diane Blum, executive director of CancerCare and a founder of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. "We're proud of the great strides we have made in breast cancer awareness and treatment, but recognize we still have a distance to go."

Today, nearly 90 percent of women who are diagnosed with breast cancer will survive their disease at least five years, up from 63 percent in the early 1960s.ⁱ Currently there are approximately 2.5 million breast cancer survivors in the United States.ⁱⁱ

NBCAM, a partnership of national public service organizations, professional medical associations, and government agencies, remains committed to promoting breast cancer awareness, sharing information on the disease, and providing greater access to screening services. The NBCAM Web site offers a variety of resources to women including mammography center and cancer hospital locators, support organizations, event listings and recipes for breast cancer patients. For more information, visit the www.NBCAM.org Web site, a year-round resource for breast cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, and the general public.

About Breast Cancer

In the United States, an estimated 192,370 women and 1,910 men will be diagnosed with new cases of breast cancer in 2009. Breast cancer ranks second as a cause of cancer death in women (after lung cancer). Death rates for breast cancer have steadily decreased in women since 1990, due to progress in both earlier detection and improved treatment. The current five-year survival rate for female breast cancer patients has improved from 63 percent in the early 1960s to 89 percent today.ⁱⁱⁱ

About NBCAM

The National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) organization is a partnership of national public service organizations, professional medical associations, and government agencies working together to promote breast cancer awareness, share information on the disease, and provide greater access to screening services.

ⁱ American Cancer Society, "Cancer Facts and Figures 2009." Accessed 5 August 2009, http://www.cancer.org/downloads/STT/500809web.pdf.
ⁱⁱ American Cancer Society, "Detailed Guide: Breast Cancer, What Are the Key Statistics for Breast Cancer?" 4 September 2008, http://www.cancer.org/docroot/cri/content/cri_2_4_1x_what_are_the_key_statistics_for_breast_cancer_5.asp.
ⁱⁱⁱ American Cancer Society, "Cancer Facts and Figures 2009." Accessed 5 August 2009, http://www.cancer.org/downloads/STT/500809web.pdf.