October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
by Nancy J. Girard

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and it is appropriate to dedicate this column to women who currently have or previously have had this disease. Statistics from 2005 show that the estimated number of deaths related to breast cancer is 15% of the total cancer population, and newly diagnosed breast cancer cases are approximately 32% of all diagnosed cancers. (1) Data also reflect that in the United States, one woman is diagnosed with breast cancer every two minutes. (2)

Ethnic and racial differences exist regarding the incidence of breast cancer. Black women are three times more likely to develop breast cancer than white women; and after the disease has been contracted the death rate among black women also is higher. (3)

It seems to me that breast cancer is only three degrees removed from any of us. Of course, those women who have breast cancer are at ground zero. First-degree separation would be those who have had a primary family member with breast cancer. Second-degree separation describes those who have extended family members with breast cancer, and third-degree separation would be those who know friends, colleagues, or neighbors with this dreaded disease. This seems to account for almost everyone.

Personal Reflection

I am one who, by fate or fortune, is three degrees separated from breast cancer, and it had a devastating effect on me. A very dear friend, who was also a faculty colleague, decided that it was time to retire to the "good life," and so she made plans to do so. After she retired, she and her family intended to travel and see the world. Fate moved in before her retirement, however, when she discovered a breast lump. A lumpectomy was performed, and during surgery, a second lump was found in her other breast. She subsequently underwent many types of treatment, including chemotherapy and radiation. After completing these treatments, she appeared to be cured.

click here to continue reading...

Top News Headlines from CNN Gloves come off on the campaign trail Sen. Barack Obama's campaign is trying to draw a parallel with Sen. John McCain's involvement in the "Keating Five" scandal and the current economic crisis. Monday Oct 6th, 6:26 AM U.S. bank failures expected to rise Read full story for latest details. Monday Oct 6th, 6:31 AM Sources: Taliban split with al Qaeda, seek peace Taliban leaders are holding Saudi-brokered talks with the Afghan government to end the country's bloody conflict -- and are severing their ties with al Qaeda, sources close to the historic discussions have told CNN. Monday Oct 6th, 2:10 AM AIDS, cancer scientists win Nobel for medicine Two Frenchmen and a German won the 2008 Nobel Prize in medicine for their discoveries of viruses that cause HIV and cervical cancer, the organization's Web site said Monday. Monday Oct 6th, 6:08 AM Simpson jury: Audio reliable, not witnesses The jury that convicted O.J. Simpson of robbery and other charges relied mostly on audio and video evidence -- and very little on testimony from prosecution witnesses -- jury members said. "We honestly felt we could not rely on that witness testimony," said Michelle Lyons, one of seven jurors who spoke to reporters. "There was not one decision we made that was based only on witness testimony." Monday Oct 6th, 2:40 AM Food from NPR Melt Down: Historic Carvel Store Closes The first Carvel ice cream store that opened in the U.S. is closing its doors today, after 72 years in business. Abdol Faghihi, the owner of the Hartsdale, N.Y., location, speaks with host Liane Hansen. Sunday Oct 5th, 6:04 AM An Autumnal Feast Fall brings the kind of days when you're glad to be inside, standing over a hot stove and listening to the rain on the roof. Celebrate with a hearty meal featuring a farmers-market bounty — and capped with a pear-studded rustic bread pudding. Tuesday Sep 30th, 8:22 PM Thomas Jefferson's Love Affair — With Wine Past fortified doors and beyond tourists' eyes, researchers are digging deep in the cellars of Monticello. It turns out the nation's third president may also have been America's first wine connoisseur. Saturday Sep 27th, 8:12 PM American Pizza Chefs Study With The Master For decades, pizza chefs — or pizzaiolos – around the world have held a deep admiration for Italian pizza maker Graziano Bertuzzo. As of this month, pizzaiolos can take classes from the master of their trade at a new pizza-making school in Northern California. Friday Sep 26th, 8:01 PM Taking The Risk Out Of Risotto Risotto has a reputation as a risky endeavor requiring constant, slow stirring — and no shortcuts. But a little practice and the proper technique can open the door to countless variations of this creamy, Italian rice dish. Tuesday Sep 23rd, 8:50 PM

Today's Latest from Entertainment Weekly 'Chihuahua' is top dog at box office Disney's pups wear the weekend box office crown, followed by ''Eagle Eye'' and ''Nick and Norah'' TV recaps: Sunday night's top shows Josh Wolk on a new record for low-IQ ''Race'' errors; Tanner Stransky on loss on Wisteria Lane; ''Mad Men'' 25 best/worst 'Star Wars' moments As ''Clone Wars'' hits Cartoon Network, we look back at the Force that made us cheer -- and wince Worst movie dialogue ever? We pick 15 favorite Say What? moments from ''Notting Hill,'' ''Jerry Maguire,'' and more Rock's best frontmen and women Bono to Bjork, Chuck D to Daltrey, Jagger to Rotten -- 31 electric personalities who rocked our worlds Working Parents from BusinessWeek Our Kids Are What WE Eat Savita Iyer is a freelance financial journalist now living in The Netherlands who frequently guest blogs for Working Parents. As its website rightly states, you either love Marmite, or you hate it. Fortunately for Solomon Teague, a magazine editor in... Friday Oct 3rd, 10:45 AM Will Veep Candidates Address Family-Friendly Issues? Will Governor Sarah Palin and Senator Joe Biden discuss issues relating to working parents in tonight?s vice presidential debate? Several women?s groups have banded together to get topics important to working families on the debate agenda. They?ve submitted thousands of... Thursday Oct 2nd, 9:21 AM What Would Paul Newman Do? As the economy goes to hell in a handbasket, I find myself searching the news for stories about...Paul Newman. Escapist? Maybe. But it's also a way of reminding myself that one can reach the top without selling one's soul. After... Wednesday Oct 1st, 5:25 AM Talking to Your Teen About the Financial Crisis This discussion, like that talk about sex, isn't one a parent of a teen can avoid. On the Monday the market plummeted after Lehman Brothers went into bankruptcy, my 14-year-old came home and asked: "Is my college savings fund safe?"... Tuesday Sep 30th, 1:16 PM Time Management for Parents Here I am. Sunday. The kids are going to bed, and I have to accomplish my last task of the week before I collapse into bed. Write this blog. It was a busy weekend. Soccer practices, soccer games, fixed a... Sunday Sep 28th, 5:40 PM