During the past two decades, scientists and researchers have made amazing strides concerning the diagnosis, treatment and research of Breast Cancer. This year, approximately 184,450 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in the United States, with approximately 41,000 individuals dying from the disease. The average American woman has a one in seven chance of developing breast cancer during her lifetime.
Yet, each year researchers and scientists have made strides in breast cancer research. For example, due to better screening techniques and awareness, screening of women with no symptoms has decreased the number of women who die from breast cancer by approximately 45 percent. Due to the advances in screening, early diagnosis, genetic testing and awareness, younger women are becoming more concerned about breast cancer. While early detection is an excellent opportunity to beat breast cancer, and statistically, most diagnosis is in women over the age of 50, we are also witnessing cases in younger women on a daily basis.
Rethink Breast Cancer is a charity helping young people who are concerned about and affected by breast cancer through innovative breast cancer education, research and support programs. Rethink is a national volunteer-driven registered charity with a bold, enterprising and entrepreneurial approach. “We are thinking differently about how to beat breast cancer by taking a groundbreaking approach to all aspects of breast cancer”
• Awareness – Rethink encourages all women to get familiar with their breasts. There is no need to follow a fancy routine for examining your breasts, just be familiar with how they look and feel so that you notice changes.
• Medical Research – Rethink Breast Cancer has brought together some of Canada’s leading scientists to develop a unique and much-needed research program-one focused on cultivating the talent of bright, new researchers. In addition to spearheading a unique breast health awareness movement, Rethink Breast Cancer is raising funds to advance breast cancer research.
• Support – As well as educating young women about prevention and early detection and raising funds for promising young breast cancer researchers, Rethink Breast Cancer is funding supportive-care programs for young women with breast cancer.
• Fundraising – Rethink Breast Cancer strives to think differently about how to beat breast cancer. This philosophy is at the core of everything we do. Organizing a Rethink Breast Cancer event means you get to express your creativity and “think differently” about fundraising. Maybe you have a brilliant idea, theme, or event concept. Or maybe you want to hold a straightforward event but have found some really interesting “money-can’t-buy” auction items. It is easy to “think differently” and people get excited to participate in fun, new innovative events.
Rethink Breast Cancer will be the beneficiary of the 2009 Boobyball (click for additional details).