October 6, 2010 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • Page 13 National Breast CancerAwareness Month When Susan Goodman Komen lost her battle with breast cancer in 1980, her younger sister, Nancy Goodman Brinker, felt that breast cancer patients might live longer if patients were more informed about breast cancer and its treatment. Susan Komen was diagnosed with breast cancer at 33 and died three years later, motivating Nancy Brinker to help speed up research aimed at finding a cure. Within two years of her sister’s death, Brinker had founded the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, fulfilling a promise made to her sister that she would do everything she could to end breast cancer forever. Since its inception, the foundation, renamed Susan G. Komen for the Cure (R) in 2007, has invested nearly $1.5 billion toward finding a cure for breast cancer and raising awareness about a disease that, aside from non-melanoma skin cancer, is the most common form of cancer among women. Susan G. Komen for the Cure keeps going strong In addition to raising money for breast cancer research, Susan G. Komen for the Cure also continues to raise awareness of the disease. The foundation’s efforts continue to garner it accolades among the thousands of charities in existence today. Charity Navigator, the nation’s largest independent evaluator of charities, has awarded Komen for the Cure its coveted four-star rating more than once, placing the foundation in a select group among charitable organizations. A closer look at breast cancer facts and figures since Komen for the Cure’s inception sheds perhaps the most impressive light on why the charity continues to be among the most successful and noteworthy in the world. In 1982, less than 30 percent of women over age 40 received regular mammograms. That figure now stands at 75 percent. Similarly impressive is the marked improvement in the five-year survival rate, which stood at 74 percent at the foundation’s inception. That figure has now risen to 98 percent. To learn more about Susan G. Komen for the Cure, visit www.komen.org. Breast cancer comes in many stages. The rate of survival improves the earlier the cancer is detected. Stage 0: Cancerous cells have not spread outside of the ducts or lobules into surrounding breast tissue. This stage is classified in two types, ductual carcinoma in situ and lobular carcinoma in situ. This is a very early cancer, which, if caught promptly, can be successfully treated. Stage I: The cancer is no larger than two centimeters and has not spread beyond the breast to lymph nodes. Stage IIA: The tumor can be larger than two centimeters but no larger than five. Or, the cancer is not larger than two centimeters, but has spread to up to three auxiliary underarm lymph nodes. Stage IIB: The tumor has grown Stages of breast cancer between two and five centimeters and has spread to up to three auxiliary underarm lymph nodes. Or, the cancer is larger than five centimeters but has not spread. Stage IIIA: The tumor is between two and five centimeters in size and has spread to at least nine auxiliary underarm lymph nodes. Stage IIIB: The tumor has spread beyond the breast to tissues nearby, such as the skin, chest wall, ribs, muscles, or lymph nodes in the chest wall. Stage IV: The cancer has spread to other organs or tissues. In terms of five-year survival rate, individuals with Stage 0 can expect 100 percent recovery. Individuals with Stage IV, however, have a 16 percent survival rate. ��������������������� ������������������������ ������������������������ ����������������� ������������������� Hair Care Family ��������� ����������� ������������������������������� ��������� ����������������� �������� ���������������������� ��������������� ����������������������������������� �������������� �������������������� ���������������������� ���������� Dear Advertisers, October is... Awareness Month The staff of The Villadom TIMES has chosen this month to offer a focus on Women’s Health Issues and Breast Cancer Awareness. We look forward to your support by including your advertising message in this feature section throughout the month of October, which will afford us the opportunity to inform, share and educate our readers on issues of significance to all of us. Breast Cancer Publication: Deadline: October 20 October 13 October 27 October 20 Call the Villadom TIMES today to place your advertisement. 201-652-0744