Focus on breast cancer brings life saving results

Coming up to the peak of the fall season in our region, vibrant shades of red, orange, green and yellow will soon be mingled amidst a landscape filled with leaves to create a fascinating blend of splendor.

Over the past quarter century, however, the rose has eclipsed the traditional fall color scheme here and across the country. This is because the rose affixed to ribbons, clothing, banners, buildings, etc., symbolizes the increasingly vigorous campaign being conducted each October to fight breast cancer in our community and across the country. .

The Mahoning Valley can be proud of the overwhelming and compassionate commitment that it takes in October – and throughout the year – to raise public awareness, expand treatment options and increase the number of breast cancer survivors.

For Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the rose will become the color of choice to increase public visibility of the disease and draw attention to this community's energetic and energetic commitment to control it.

And we control it. According to the latest Ohio Department of Health profiles for every county in the state, the Mahoning Valley has seen a surprisingly strong decline in the number of cancer cases and cancer-related deaths in recent years.

Mahoning County saw its new case rate drop by 13% between 2005 and 2015. The rate of Trumbull fell by 12% and that of Columbiana by 9%. These advances are better than the 7% decline at the state level.

In our region, the Integrated Breast Care Center Joanie Abdu is the jewel of this commitment and progress. This state-of-the-art 7-year-old treatment facility is a vital part of the St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital.

During its short life, the $ 8 million center saved countless lives and earned praise from near and far. His mission has attracted phenomenal community support, as evidenced by the 11,000 runners and walkers who went to August 26 for the 2018 Panerathon, the largest fundraiser in the Mahoning Valley, which collected more than 2 , $ 5 million for the center.

EMBRACE AWARENESS

But this pink ribbon awareness month goes well beyond the support given to Joanie Abdu. Many groups in the community have joined the national campaign. Businesses, nonprofit charities and college organizations – most notably the Zeta Tau Alpha Sorority of Youngstown State University, which has raised more than $ 1 million in research over the past year – have united behind the pink banner.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month has certainly grown in volume and passion since its first sighting 26 years ago, when Self magazine's editor-in-chief, Alexandra Penney, used a pink ribbon to attract women to breast cancer. pay attention to the cause. But, as in 1992, the mission of the one – month movement remains clear: the fight against the disease must be won.

Breast cancer is a cancer in which the cells of the breast tissue divide and grow without normal control. With the exception of skin cancers, breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. About 1 in 8 women can expect to be diagnosed with breast cancer during her lifetime. According to the US Center for Disease Control, this disease kills an estimated 200,000 American women each year.

In Mahoning Valley, Ohio and most of the country, breast cancer ranks second, behind lung cancer. In addition, many stories of old women surround the disease. That is why it is essential that local activism continues to mobilize for education, awareness and research.

There are plenty of opportunities this month to build on this momentum. ZTA is planning its 18th annual Rubber Cheer Classic Classic on October 21st at 7:45 am at YSU's Beeghly Center. The event deserves the support of the region's cheerleading teams, as it typically collects more than $ 100,000 a year.

The 2016 Real Men Wear Pink Day of the American Cancer Society will be held on Wednesday. Men will be asked to join the fight in their most elegant pink outfit, in exchange for donations from fans of the fight against breast cancer.

Covelli Enterprises, headquartered in Warren, is also continuing its tradition of donating part of the proceeds from the sale of each of its pink ribbons bagels in October to Joanie Abdu de Youngstown.

For the few people who complain that the pink color in October is a nasty, old-fashioned and exaggerated strategy for fighting serious illness, we say baloney.

The progress made over the last 25 years proves the opposite. In addition, if a pink building, a pink poster or a pink ribbon reminds a high-risk woman of the need to plan a mammogram, the value of the month of the pink ribbon will have more than proved its value.