Understanding Breast Cancer
About Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is a type of cancer where cells in the breast tissue divide and grow without normal control. It is a widespread and random disease, striking women and men of all ages and races. It is the most prevalent cancer in the world today, with about 1.3 million people diagnosed annually. The exact cause of the disease is unknown, and at this time, there is no cure.
But there is hope. Thanks to heightened awareness, early detection through screening, improved treatment methods and increased access to breast health services, people have a greater chance of survival than ever before.
The Susan G. Komen for the Cure national website,
komen.org, offers comprehensive information about breast cancer risk factors, early detection and screening, diagnosis and treatment. Developed in conjunction with the
Harvard School of Public Health, the site offers a
one-stop resource for all the latest information on the disease.
Making sense of the complex world of breast cancer can be overwhelming. Whether you are facing a personal diagnosis or that of a friend or loved one, there are many steps you can take to help you better understand the many faces of this disease. Learn about your personal risk and ways to take an active role in your breast health. Read about being a survivor, or offering support to a breast cancer survivor. Find local resources available to assist you. Becoming informed and empowered is the first step in battling this disease.
Click
here to use our interactive tutorial to better understand the development of breast cancer, risk factors, diagnosis and treatment options.
Breast cancer can be scary and confusing, both for those diagnosed and for their friends and family. It’s important to have a strong support network to help with the physical and emotional demands of the disease. Remember, you are not alone. There are many support services available to assist you on this journey, including:
•1-877 GO KOMEN, a free breast care helpline offering professional support services to anyone with breast health and breast cancer concerns, including breast cancer patients and their families.
•The
Co-Survivor section of Komen’s national website, where friends and family members can share tips and advice, and read personal stories from others who have been in similar situations.
What can I do? What can I say?
Help me understand what you're going through
Stories of Support
There are as many ways of being a co-survivor as there are people! Thoughtful gestures big and small mean so much to survivors, whether they've just been diagnosed or completed treatment years ago. Thanks for the strength, love and support you show in ways big and small by being a co-survivor.
Who is a Co-Survivor?
From the moment a person's breast cancer diagnosis is confirmed, she or he is considered a survivor. Co-survivors are family, friends, health care providers or colleagues who are there to lend support from diagnosis through treatment and beyond. There are as many ways of being an effective co-survivor as there are people. Many different co-survivors may enter the patient's life over time, lending support in big or small ways.
What can I do? What can I say?
Is someone you know battling breast cancer or stepping back into "normal" life after treatment? Sometimes it's hard knowing what to say or do. Handy fact sheets and breast cancer information about the disease and its emotional impact can help you
reach out and meet the real needs of a survivor.
Create a network of support with Lotsa Helping Hands!
Learn how friends, co-workers and neighbors can join together to assist your loved one in their time of need by creating a private online group calendar at
lotsahelpinghands.com.
Help me understand what you're going through
Breast cancer is complex and baffling. It changes lives, relationships, goals and priorities. Information outlining what you might expect along the way is very important in traveling the breast cancer journey alongside a friend or loved one. Information and fact sheets guide your way.
Sharing your story - connecting with other co-survivors
As a co-survivor, you provide much needed support for your loved one's fight against breast cancer. You need support, too. By
sharing your story and connecting with other co-survivors, you can be part of a group connected by strength, hope and love. Read stories of hope and encouragement from co-survivors and breast cancer survivors, and share your story to help inspire others.
You are not alone. Every three minutes, a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer. Each diagnosis affects everyone in that person's life. The
co-survivor message board ("Family and Friends") is a place for you to share ideas and support with people who know how you feel.
Co-Survivor ribbon
Susan G. Komen for the Cure developed a co-survivor ribbon that combines the pink ribbon — the universal symbol for breast cancer awareness — with the color white to recognize the relationship between breast cancer survivors and their co-survivors. This special pink and white ribbon has become the symbol of the co-survivor.
To purchase a co-survivor ribbon,
click here.
How to Apply for Funding
Contact UsKomen Race for the Cure
RegisterParticipant CenterDonateFundraiseRace InformationI AM THE CURE®VolunteerSponsorsNational Spotlight
Who are you running for? — Join in the fight against breast cancer by running a full or half marathon through Marathon for the Cure™
Rally for the Cure — Golf, tennis, dinner events and so much more...
A brand to trust — Susan G. Komen for the Cure® ranked number one in a recent Harris Interactive poll as the most valued non-profit brand and the charity people are most likely to donate money to. Additionally, Komen for the Cure ranked second on the 2010 list of the nation’s most trusted charities. Thank you to all who help daily in the fight to end breast cancer!
I AM THE CURE
I AM THE CURE.®
Susan G. Komen for the Cure® created the I AM THE CURE. ® program to boost the educational outreach of the Komen Race for the Cure® Series by motivating Race participants to take an active role in their own breast health. I AM THE CURE.® is a rallying cry that is emotional, memorable and motivational. It speaks to the importance of early detection, and provides simple, action-oriented messages that Race participants can put into action.
On Race Day
On Race Day, you can visit our interactive I AM THE CURE.® booth to learn more about breast self-awareness. You can spin the wheel for prizes and ‘take-home’ educational information. You’ll also see our Rovers in the bright pink and green I AM THE CURE.® shirts; they’ll be sharing the message of early detection and will reward you for your participation. All throughout the Race, you’ll hear our ‘Cure Leaders’ cheering on Race participants and reminding everyone that we all have the power to be part of the cure!
The four key messages we want Race participants to remember are:
•See your doctor, learn your risk! I AM THE CURE.®
•Get mammograms and breast exams! I AM THE CURE.®
•Notice changes to your breasts! I AM THE CURE.®
•Start the fight by living right! I AM THE CURE.®
The I AM THE CURE.® program is a visual, engaging and powerful way for us to reach every Race participant with the important messages about proactive breast health. We hope you’ll be empowered to share this knowledge with friends and family – encouraging them to commit to positive breast health practices as well
What You Can Do To Help
For more information about the I AM THE CURE.® program, breast health information and ways that you can personally get involved, please visit iamthecure.org. The iamthecure.org microsite can be accessed in English and Spanish, and it provides a variety of tools and resources to equip you with the important knowledge about proactive breast health. If you’re interested in learning more about volunteer opportunities at our Race, including becoming an I AM THE CURE.® volunteer, please contact us or visit our Volunteer page. The I AM THE CURE.® program is ideal for volunteers of all ages seeking to get involved in the Komen Race for the Cure®.
Donate
You can help achieve a world without breast cancer by contributing financially in a way that is meaningful to you. Your gift will support our Affiliate’s mission to provide local community grants, helping people in our community access education, screening and treatment. Your funds also support life-saving research initiatives that will enable scientists to discover the cures for breast cancer.
Make a Gift
Join us in the promise and become part of the fight against breast cancer by making a contribution of $25, $50, $100 or the value that is meaningful to you to support our work at Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
The In Honor Campaign provides the opportunity to make a donation to celebrate a loved one's survivorship or a special occasion—a birthday, anniversary, or a wedding— or recognize the courage of a friend or relative who is fighting breast cancer, or even to thank someone for their support.
The Memorial Campaign provides the opportunity to make a donation in memory of a loved one or friend
Make a Donation
Passionately Pink for the Cure®
Visit our special page for Passionately Pink for the Cure to learn how your company can participate in fundraising events at work – and have fun while helping Susan G. Komen for the Cure® reach our goal of a world without breast cancer!
There’s no time like the present to get passionately pink about ending breast cancer. Passionately Pink for the Cure is a fundraising program that inspires breast cancer advocacy and honors those affected by the disease. You’ll help raise awareness among your friends, family and co-workers and help end breast cancer forever!
There's more to Passionately Pink than meets the eye. A lot more. In fact, when women and men across America trade in their trademark blues, greens, oranges, yellows, purples and reds this year to participate in this unique fundraising program, they will be making a difference that will be felt around the world, today and for years to come.
We need your Passion! Declare that you're Passionately Pink for the Cure.
To get started, simply register, then invite a group of friends, co-workers, and family members, to wear pink and make a donation to Komen for the Cure. It’s easy and it’s fun! Join us and become a Passionista. Together, we will end breast cancer forever.
Pick Your Pink...Play Your Part...End Breat Cancer Forever!
On the Web: Enlist Your Friends in the Fight
Create your own web page to raise funds in the fight to end breast cancer forever through the work of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Raise funds by asking friends to support an event or an accomplishment, or to honor another individual or remember a loved one.
Create a Fundraising Page
Marathon for the Cure™
Marathon for the Cure™, a program of Susan G. Komen for the Cure® is a grassroots fundraising program offering runners the chance to join in the fight against breast cancer by running a full or half marathon.
Marathon for the Cure™ expands the reach of Komen beyond the 5k race and offers distance runners and aspiring distance runners the opportunity to raise much needed funds in support of Komen for the Cure’s vision of a world without breast cancer - all while training for and running in some of the most elite distance races in the world.
To participate in Marathon for the Cure™ as a runner in one of our “official marathon partners” races, a runner must commit to a fundraising minimum of $2,200.
To participate in any other full or half marathon you can still be a team member by committing to raise $250.
To learn more, visit
www.komen.org/marathon
Circle of Promise
Susan G. Komen for the Cure launched the Circle of Promise campaign to engage African-Americans in its mission to end breast cancer forever by fostering increased awareness, support, empowerment and action. African-American women have the highest death rate and poorest survival rate of any other racial or ethnic group for breast cancer. In an effort to rewrite the story of African American women and breast cancer, Komen has pledged to decrease the mortality of African-Americans from breast cancer by increasing awareness of the risk of breast cancer, reducing pervasive myths in the community, encouraging breast self awareness leading to early detection and treatment and mobilizing the community to collectively fight for access to quality care for all.
Join the Circle
Buy and Sell on eBay for Susan G. Komen for the Cure
You can support Susan G. Komen for the Cure when you buy or sell on eBay, with the eBay Giving Works program.
Buy
You can find whatever you're looking for on eBay – from baseball cards to new cars and more. When you do, shop for items that benefit us. You can get a great deal and save lives at the same time!
Sell
Did you know that charity listings often get more bids and higher prices than regular eBay listings? Boost your sales and support our critical work while you’re at it! Plus eBay gives back to you too, with a fee credit on your basic selling fees.
Make a Bid on eBay
Who Is Susan G. Komen?
History
Susan G. Komen fought breast cancer with her heart, body and soul. Throughout her diagnosis, treatments, and endless days in the hospital, she spent her time thinking of ways to make life better for other women battling breast cancer instead of worrying about her own situation. Moved by Susan’s compassion for others and commitment to making a difference, Nancy G. Brinker promised her sister that she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer.
Though Susan lost her battle with the disease, her legacy lives on through the work of Susan G. Komen for the Cure®, the organization Nancy started in her honor. Komen for the Cure is the global leader of the breast cancer movement, having invested more than $1 billion since its inception in 1982. Komen’s promise is to save lives and end breast cancer forever by empowering people, ensuring quality care for all and energizing science to find the cures.
Across the country, that promise is upheld by a network of 122 local Affiliate offices. At the heart of each Affiliate is a person or group of people who, like Susan, wanted to make a difference.
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Will President Obama Help End Breast Cancer Forever?
America's new President can save lives – but only if you ask. By taking a moment to sign the I Vote for the Cure® petition, which outlines three critical goals in the fight to end breast cancer, you can let him know that you expect him to make breast cancer a national priority as he establishes his presidential agenda.
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A friend of mine, Grace Walton, is trying to race $2300. This year she is trying to walk in the 3-Day for the Cure for my grandmother who passed away in 2009 from her long struggle with this awful disease. Each walker needs to raise $2,300 to walk and I have made $700 so far. Any help would be so greatly appreciated. A big part for me this year has also been to raise awareness because early detection is key. Link here to help her out!