October is known as the month of change; the time changes, the season changes and the weather changes.

October is also known as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and this year marks the 25th year of awareness, empowerment and education about this life threatening disease.

What is Breast cancer? Breast cancer is a malignant tumor that grows in one or both of the breasts. Breast cancer usually develops in the ducts or lobules, also known as the milk-producing areas of the breast.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the United States over the age of 40. The cancer can affect all women regardless of breast size, weight or race. This monster of a disease is taking our mothers, sisters, aunts, friends and cousins away at alarming rates. Statistics show that one in four women are affected by breast cancer.

In fact, an estimated 40,170 women died from the disease in 2009 alone. In 2010, an estimated 207,090 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in women in the U.S. This disease does not discriminate, about 1,970 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in men in 2010. Although men acquire less than 1% of all new breast cancer cases, it is still a very scary for this is a new epidemic that is growing rapidly.

Studies show that the most significant risk factors for breast cancer are gender (being a woman) and age (growing older). What is most alarming about all statistics is that African American women have a slightly higher incidence rate of breast cancer before age 40 and African-American women are more likely to die from breast cancer at every age.

In 2010, there has been a reported 2.5 million breast cancer survivors in the United States. This is a great feat for women who have been diagnosed with the disease, however, there is still not a cure for Breast Cancer.

You can visit the American Cancer Society website www.cancer.org to learn ways to prevent, and detect the disease. You can also use this website to find out how to get involved in local charities that are raising funds and awareness about the cancer.

Breast Cancer Awareness month is celebrated by wearing the color pink. Show that you are ready to fight cancer by putting on something pink this October and join us in honoring breast cancer survivors, raise awareness about the disease and to help save lives.