Over the past few years, the efforts in the battle against breast cancer have increased tenfold. Breast cancer is diagnosed in one out of eight women in the United States. Although men may feel safe from a breast cancer diagnosis, the harsh reality is that one in every 1000 men will develop breast cancer each year.

Breast cancer occurs when cells in the breast begin to grow rapidly and out of control. Though early detection is an advantage in the fight against cancer, sometimes, by the time a lump is large enough to feel it may have been growing for the past 10 years. However, aggressive tumors unfortunately can and do grow much faster.

In response to this deadly disease, people banded together and decided to not let breast cancer control their lives and the lives of their loved ones. The first race for the cure for breast cancer was held in 1983 during the month of October. In 1985, October was established as National Breast Cancer Month (NBCMsinglehandedlywhy the color pink? Is a question that comes up in various conversations from time to time.

According to ThinkBeforeYouPink.org, in 1991, the Susan G. Komen

A year after the race in 1992, editor of Self magazine, Alexandra Penney, created a ribbon just like the one handed out at the race to distribute to New York City stores in honor of breast cancer. Evelyn Lauder, senior corporate Vice-President of Estee Lauder and breast cancer survivor worked with Penney and promised to put one of Penney's ribbons on cosmetic counters across the country.

A week later after coming up with her ribbon to distribute to stores, Liz Smith, a journalist and gossip columnist, wrote about a woman who was using peach colored ribbons to raise breast cancer awareness. The woman was 68 year old Charlotte Haley who was battling breast cancer. Her peach-colored loops were handmade in her dining room. Each set of five were attached with a card saying "The National Cancer Institute annual budget is $1.8 billion, only 5 percent goes for cancer prevention. Help us wake up our legislators and America by wearing this ribbon." 

Haley handed out thousands of ribbons at supermarkets and local establishments in her area. After hearing of Haley, Self magazine called her to give her national attention. This caused the breast cancer ribbons to become popular and after much debate the color was declared as pink. Since then, the pink ribbons have become a symbol for the fight against breast cancer.Alexandra Penney, Evelyn Lauder, and Charlotte Haley are thanked every day because of their hard work and innovation. It is because of them that the pink breast cancer ribbon had received such national recognition.

Today, the pink ribbon is worn proudly in honor of those affected by breast cancer. Other than skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the United States. As far as death rates go, breast cancer is second in the leading cause of cancer death in women; Lung cancer is the first. Death rates have been decreasing over the past few years due to early detection and advanced treatment but the war wages on. To this day 2.8 million women and men are breast cancer survivors and they continue to try and eradicate this terrible disease every day.

The Kean community has joined the fight and strives to help support breast cancer awareness. For more information please visits http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/about-breast-cancer/default.aspx.