Breast Cancer Awareness Month Kicks off on October 1st.  It’s not too late to get involved!

TORONTO – October 1, 2014 – Breast Cancer Awareness Month brings together the thousands of Canadians who have been impacted by breast cancer to celebrate success and remember those we have lost.

To get involved – whether you are a breast cancer survivor, a family member of someone who has been impacted, a community member, a leader in your company, or an ambitious student – you can create your own event or get involved in the many events taking place across the province.

This October, Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation (CBCF) will also host a number of initiatives to raise funds for cause-related work and empower women and their families with valuable information about breast health and breast cancer.  

“Since 1986, the mortality rate from breast cancer has declined by more than 40 per cent thanks to research and programs funded by CBCF and like-minded organizations,” says Sandra Palmaro, CEO CBCF-Ontario region, “but with more than 24,000 women diagnosed with breast cancer each year we can’t stop now.”

As the largest non-governmental funder of breast cancer research in Canada, Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation invests in innovative and relevant research that expands our knowledge and improves practice in all areas of breast cancer, from discovering new genetic risk factors for breast cancer, to improving quality of life after a breast cancer treatment.

CBCF is made stronger by the thousands of supporters that are essential to our success and our ability to keep making real change happen. The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation CIBC Run for the Cure takes place Sunday, October 5, bringing together more than 57,000 runners and walkers in 30 communities in Ontario alone. There is still time to register as a participant or make a donation at www.cibcrunforthecure.com

On October 15, Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation's Ask an Expert day presented by Canada AM, will connect the public with breast cancer experts from coast to coast. This will be followed by a two-hour live chat event beginning at 1:00 PM EST where participants can ask questions real time. Dr. Martin Yaffe, Senior Scientist, Sunnybrook Research Institute and world-renowned expert on screening and detection will participate in the Ontario broadcast.

CBCF’s breast health program encourages women to make healthy behaviour changes to reduce breast cancer risk. Women can create their personalized breast health plan, learn more about steps they can take to reduce their risk and post personal stories about the changes they have made to improve their breast health. You can share your story or find more information at cbcf.org/onenewthing.

You can also find new, comprehensive information about breast health and breast cancer on cbcf.org. This updated material is easy to understand and can be shared with friends and colleagues through social media.

If you have been touched by breast cancer or you know someone who has been impacted, please show your support during breast cancer awareness month and throughout the year. Together, we will create a future without breast cancer. Learn more about how you can get involved.

Key facts: breast cancer in Canada:

• Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Canadian women and the second leading cause of cancer deaths in Canadian women.

• One in four (26%) cancers diagnosed in women in Canada are breast cancer.
• One in nine Canadian women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime.

• The risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer increases with age – 82 percent of new breast cancer cases will occur in Canadian women over the age of 50.

• One-third of breast cancers are preventable through diet, maintaining a healthier body weight and regular physical activity.

• More than 90% of breast cancers are linked to factors that include how and where we live, work and play.

• Evidence confirms that women can reduce their risk of breast cancer by maintaining a healthier body weight, drinking less alcohol, quitting smoking, limiting use of hormone therapy during menopause and reducing exposure to environmental carcinogens and hormone disruptors.

• Due to advancements in screening, diagnosis and treatment, the breast cancer mortality rate has fallen by 43 per cent since the peak in 1986 which means more women are living longer and healthier lives.

• Men can also get breast cancer, although it’s rare - less than one per cent of all breast cancer cases in Canada, or approximately 210 cases in 2014.

• The significant decline in the breast cancer mortality rate suggests that there has been important progress made in cancer control. In relation to breast cancer, advancements in earlier detection are an aspect of cancer control efforts that have been particularly successful. When women are diagnosed at earlier stages of the disease, more treatment options are available, and women have a better chance at surviving the disease.

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For more information, or to arrange interviews, please contact:

Nicole Curling
Senior Manager, Communications & Government Relations
ncurling@cbcf.org
416-815-1313 ext. 899

About the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation

Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation is the leading community driven organization in Canada dedicated to creating a future without breast cancer. Our investments in innovative and relevant research and education have led to progress in breast cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care. Since 1986, we have been at the forefront of a nationwide movement supporting and advocating for the breast cancer community.