Women ’s Health One in nine Australian women w ill be diagnosed with breast cancer before the age of 85. This is a sobering fact for the current population, and one that reminds both men and women in Australia of the importance of reg ular screening and breast self-examination (BSE). Every year, Australia’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month in Oct ober seeks to raise national recogn it ion of our access to prevention, treatment and support services around the country and together focus on those affected by breast cancer and their families. The Month The concept of Breast Cancer Aware ness Month originat ed in the 1980s and ha s since be come an internationally recognised campaign represented by the iconic pink ribbon, a symbol that promotes t he breast cancer awareness br and and expre sses moral suppor t. The cult u re of Breast Cance r Awareness Month is centralised on a pro-mammogram, prohealth and prevention mentality, not embedded solely in the progress of finding a cure. The culture of the event seeks to unite fighters of breast cancer, thei r families and the local and n ational commu nity in an expression of supp ort, a celebration of femininity and optimism. This year, Monday 28 October was Au st ralia’s Breast Cancer Day, on wh ich people came together at organised events or individually expressed their suppor t for breast cancer patients and the conti nuous development of research, treat me nt and support facilities. Wear ing a pin k ribbon on this day is a quintessential expression of suppor t in all participating cou nt ries. Current Statistic s • Breast cancer is the most common form of ca ncer among Au st ralian women. • Up until it was recently sur passed by lung cancer, breast cancer held the h ighest rate of cancer-caused death s in Australian women. • Breast ca ncer accounted for 27 percent of all new cance r s diagnosed in Australian women in 2009 and 16 percent of all cancer deaths among females i n 2007. • 2,912 Queenslanders were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011. The Pink As defined by Breast Cancer Network Australia, October is a ti me for support and reflection, a time to celebrate advances in diagnost ics, medicine and management of the cancer, a nd a very important time to remember those who have lost the battle and their families. By wearing pin k or the pin k r ibbon badge t h roughout the month, especially on Breast pindaramagazine.com.au Pindara Magazine 39
Pindara Private Hospital Magazine - Issue Three
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