TOMORROW is the day to buy a pink ribbon to support the battle against breast cancer if you haven’t already done so.
Friday 25 October is officially Pink Ribbon Day, the flagship day of a month-long series of fund-raisers staged as part of the Cancer Council’s breast and gynaeological cancer awareness month.
Eliza Voshege of the Cancer Council of NSW said every day in Australia around 50 women would be diagnosed with breast or gynaecological cancer.
“Over the last eight years in the Mid North Coast alone, we have lost 195 women to breast cancer,” she said.
Eliza said the news wasn’t all bleak because there had been a 31 per cent reduction in breast cancer over the past 20 years, and there was much more support for women who had it.
However, she said much more research was needed if we were to to ensure a cancer-free future.
“We do need every bit of the community’s support to find that precious cure,” she said.
You can find pink ribbons and fund-raising merchandise on sale at Coles supermarkets and many other local businesses.
The facts
* Every day 41 women will be told they have breast cancer and seven will lose their lives to this disease
* Over 15,000 women and around 125 men are diagnosed with breast cancer every year
* Each year, more than 2700 Australian women die from breast cancer
* One in eight Australian women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime
* Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in women
* Survival rates continue to improve with the current five-year survival rate 89 per cent
* Breast cancer is a complex disease needing a variety of treatments including surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and long-term medication
