C-A-N-C-E-R, a six letter word that could bring any person to tears at the slightest mention, has touched the lives of many; a friend, love-one or sadly even ourselves. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and this is the time when the Kean University community should come together to increase awareness of this horrible disease.

It is important to remember that the best way to beat the odds against breast cancer is to catch the disease early. The most common symptom of breast cancer is a new lump or mass. A lump may or may not be painful, and most of the time it will usually be a hard mass with irregular edges, but in rare occasions the mass may be soft. Regular exams should be completed on a monthly basic. Any concerns should be brought to a physician immediately.

Other signs of breast cancer, provided by Susan G. Komen, are:

• Lump, hard knot, or thickening inside the breast or underarm area
• Swelling, warmth, redness, or darkening of the breast
• Change in the size or shape of the breast
• Dimpling or puckering of the skin
• Itchy, scaly sore, or rash on the nipple
• Pulling in of your nipple or other parts of the breast
• Nipple discharge that starts suddenly
• New pain in one spot that does not go away

The widespread use of screening mammogram machines has helped decreased the number of people diagnosed with breast cancer. The National Cancer Institute has released the latest information regarding the outbreak of new breast cancer cases and deaths: in 2014, new cases for females totaled 232,670 and 2,360 for males, and deaths totaled 40,000 for females and 430 for males.

Yearly mammograms should be done starting at the age of 40, and woman between the ages of 50 and 64 every two years. Mammogram machines are not the only way to diagnose breast cancer. An at-home method is a self-examination of the breasts. It is best to do a self-exam three to five days after an individual’s period ends. Start a breast self-exam by looking for dimpling or changes in shape of symmetry, it is best done by looking in a mirror. The rest of the breast self-exam is easier to be done in the shower. Start by using soap to smooth the skin. Use light pressure to check for lumps near the surface, use firm pressure to examine deeper tissues. Then squeeze each nipple gently, any discharge should be brought to a doctor’s attention.

Breast Cancer has different stages. As the stages of breast cancer go up, the intensity of the disease increases. Stages are expressed on a scale of 0 through IV and are based on four characteristics:

• The size of the cancer
• Whether the cancer is invasive or non-invasive
• If the cancer is in the lymph nodes
• The cancer has spread to other parts of the body beyond the breast

Join the Kean University community throughout the month of October to help raise awareness of breast cancer. All month long different organizations will be hosting bake sales to raise money in hope to reach an end to breast cancer. The Pan African Student Union [PASU] will be hosting Balling for Boobies on Thursday, October 9, 2014. The center for leadership and service [CLS] will be hosting Making Strides Against Breast Cancer: The Walk on Sunday, October 26, 2014. More events will soon be posted; stay up to date at https://kean.collegiatelink.net/.