October is Breast Cancer Awareness month.
An easy thing to do is to wear something pink to help the awareness movement. It serves the purpose if someone gets mammogram, quits smoking, revises diet, changes lifestyle, or however creates environment that goes toward stopping cancer (that does not have to be limited to breast cancer, but whatever) or makes patients' and their family's lives easier.
For people who like something more tangible, there are some fundraising events like "Real Men Wear Pink" by American Cancer Society (which is legit, in case you are cautious), and you can contribute to it.
Besides, (unfortunately), it may not be difficult to find your link with breast cancer.
Based on NCI's estimates, about 44,130 people (43600 female, 530 male) in the US are predicted to die of breast cancer in 2021. They are not a small number. Although lung cancer is the biggest killer with 131,880 deaths, which is followed by colorectal cancer with 52,980 deaths and pancreatic cancer with 48,220 death, breast cancer makes the 4th in cancer deaths.
In terms of new cases, breast cancer is the biggest among all cancers (281,550 female 2,650 male).
For me personally, I had two friends who died of breast cancer in her 30's and 40's. Their lives were cut short.
My sister got one several years back. I don't really see any cancer in my family, so it was one of freak sporadic case. She went through surgery and chemo and is alive fine now. I am thankful for her survival.
My postdoctoral research was funded by DOD breast cancer research program. It helped my career and I am also thankful for that.
You may or may not be a person who pays attention only when it hits close to home. Yet, it would be important to be reminded of this cause.
"October is Breast Cancer Awareness month."
