Cal State Long Beach will dedicate the month of October to breast cancer awareness, known as Pink October.
“The goal is for people to become aware of breast cancer for themselves and others,” said Lynne Coenen, assistant director of the Women’s Resource Center.
“We want students to know there are multiple resources on campus and in the larger community, ultimately to eliminate breast cancer in the world,” Coenen said.
There will be informational tables on upper and lower campus next week Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Flyers will be passed out to help men and women gain a better understanding of breast cancer.
There will also be a workshop Tuesday, Oct. 10 in the Women’s Resource Center from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Doctors and physicians who are survivors of breast cancer will speak at the workshops.
Breast Cancer Angels is a program that provides support for victims of breast cancer to help women with financial difficulty, from providing a ride to and from the hospital to paying for treatment and buying their children socks. Donations will be collected next week at the informational tables.
“Being aware is most important,” Coenen said. Breast cancer affects everyone, male or female, according to Coenen and the American Cancer Society.
The American Cancer Society suggested that between the ages of 20 to 39, clinical breast examinations by a doctor or nurse every three years and monthly breast self-examinations could help in preventing breast cancer.
“The risk of breast cancer increases as a woman grows older,” the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month Web site said.
The site also explained the most common risk factors. Women ages 50 and older have the highest percentage of risk, although it is not impossible to have it at a younger age. Personal history can also play a part. If a family member has had breast cancer, the risk is higher for the next generation. Both men and women could be born with the breast cancer genes.
