Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Introduction

Breast Cancer Awareness Month is an annual event in October that aims to promote screening and prevention of breast cancer, which affects one in eight women in the U.S. and 2.3 million women globally. Known for its pink theme, Breast Cancer Awareness Month involves campaigns and programs to support patients, educate them on risk factors, encourage regular screening starting at age 40, and raise funds for research. In 2021, President Joe Biden designated October 17-23 Men’s Breast Cancer Awareness Week. Approximately 2,700 American men are expected to be diagnosed with breast cancer this year. Note that some people, including male, transgender, and non-binary individuals, prefer to use the term chest cancer to refer to the disease.

In this digital display, we share a timeline of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment, explore the Leatherby Libraries’ relevant eBooks and journals, and offer a wealth of online resources.

About the image:

The use of ribbons to represent causes began in 1979 with yellow ribbons symbolizing hope, but their association with breast cancer originated in 1992 through a partnership between a Self magazine editor and an Estée Lauder executive. They decided to distribute pink ribbons to raise awareness about the disease, and the color pink became widely adopted due to the immense reach of the magazine and cosmetics brand. Today, the pink ribbon is internationally recognized as the symbol of breast cancer awareness. This exhibit's image was created by library assistant, Amie Fillet. 

Reference

Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Breastcancer.org. Accessed September 18, 2023. https://www.breastcancer.org/about-breast-cancer/breast-cancer-awareness-month
 

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