This October, 2009 marks 25 years of breast cancer awareness. The National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) organization along with national public service organizations, professional medical associations, and government agencies have dedicated the month of October to spread awareness of the disease, share useful information, and provide greater access to screening services for both survival and prevention.

Breast cancer is said to be the second leading cause of cancer death for women in the United States and although breast cancer is a disease that does not discriminate, according to the American Cancer Society it is the most common cancer among African American women.  It is noted that African American women die more from the disease due to lack of screening and diagnosis.  In fact, the five-year survival rate of breast cancer for African American women is 77%, compared to 90% for white women.

The level of importance for breast cancer awareness is extremely high due to the fact that each year nearly 200,000 women racially combined are diagnosed with the disease and as a result more than 40,000 die. Statistics also show that nearly 1,700 men are diagnosed with breast cancer every year and approximately 450 die. By becoming educated on the disease, one can take advantage and benefit from early diagnosis and obtain information on services available to help aid in successfully fighting the disease and/or receive useful information on how to avoid the risk of getting the disease at all.

Some of the risk factors for breast cancer include family history; whether or not you have been previously diagnosed with breast cancer or have had any recurrences; eating habits and being overweight; and overall lifestyle. To take charge of these risk factors, one should consider the following:

Maintain a healthy body weight:
Being overweight increases your risk of breast cancer, especially after menopause. More fat tissue means higher estrogen levels and greater risk.

Eat a healthy diet:
Aim for a low-fat diet rich in fruit and vegetables and low in animal fats. It is not known which specific foods increase risk. More and more evidence shows alcohol is related to breast cancer, but some evidence shows moderate drinking is beneficial for heart disease prevention.

Keep physically active:
Aim for 30 minutes of moderate activity, most days of the week. You don't have to be a triathlete. Walking is just fine.

Take vitamin D:
Vitamin D supplementation is one of the most promising approaches to prevention.

Avoid Hormone Replacement Therapy:
Try to avoid hormone replacement therapy. If you need it, use the lowest possible dose for the shortest period possible.

Stop Smoking:
Parents who smoke put their daughters at risk. Second-hand smoke has now been implicated in pre-menopausal breast cancer.

Once again, early detection and treatment is the best fight against breast cancer.  For those who feel they may be at high risk of the disease, they are encouraged to seek treatment early, ask questions of their physicians and stay positive.

More information on breast cancer and breast cancer awareness can be found at nbcam.org.