Half of Those in This Very Class

Half of those in this very class are women and are directly at risk for breast cancer. Of the half that are men, ironically enough, each of them has a one in one thousand chance of developing breast cancer themselves. Of the men who will not develop it, they all have a mother, or perhaps sisters, aunts, cousins, grandmothers, or girlfriends that may be affected. Breast cancer is not something that happens to other people, it happens to all of us. One particular organization that can directly reduce the number of women who die each year from breast cancer is the National Breast Cancer Foundation. This organization provides the best chance for early detection of breast cancer available to women by increasing awareness, as well as "funding free mammograms for women who could otherwise not afford them and supporting research programs in leading facilities across the country." (National Breast Cancer Foundation) Because each of the people in this class may be effected by breast cancer, the National Breast Cancer Foundation deserves to receive the class donation.

It is estimated that by the end of the year, close to 300,000 new cases of breast cancer will have been diagnosed in this country. That's 300,000 mothers, sisters, aunts, cousins, girlfriends, grandmothers, neighbors, teachers, waitresses, health care professionals, police officers, and college students. In addition to that, close to 40,000 women can be expected to die in 2011 from breast cancer. And although this statistic is quite disturbing, there is some good news; death rates have been steadily decreasing over the past 20 years. But the decrease in death rates associated with breast cancer are generally accepted as being the result of increased awareness, earlier detection through screening, and treatment advances. The National Breast Cancer Foundation performs all three of these critical functions by spreading awareness, providing free mammogram screenings, and supporting research to create better and more effective treatments.

It is the early detection of breast cancer that provides the best opportunity for a person to survive. For instance, doctors now give a 100% five-year survival rate for those diagnosed with stage I breast cancer. Or if the disease has advanced to stage IIa, advances made in treatments mean that a person still has a 92% five-year survival rate, and even when stage IIIb has been reached, most still have a 54% survival rate. (Breast Cancer Society) But naturally it is better to detect breast cancer as early as possible so that they can receive treatment. This can all but guarantee survival of those diagnosed with breast cancer, and some of them may be women in this class, or maybe the men, may be saved.