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October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2024

Breast Cancer Awareness Month, held in October every year, aims to promote screening and prevention of the disease, which affects one in eight women in the United States every year and 2.3 million women worldwide. Known best for its pink theme color, the month features several campaigns and programs — conducted by groups ranging from breast cancer advocacy organizations to local community organizations to major retailers — aimed at:

supporting people diagnosed with breast cancer, including metastatic breast cancer
educating people about breast cancer risk factors
stressing the importance of regular screening, starting at age 40 or an age that’s appropriate for your personal breast cancer risk
fundraising for breast cancer research

According to the American Cancer Society, the lifetime risk of male breast cancer is about 1 in 726. The average age for male breast cancer diagnosis is 67. Men’s Breast Cancer Awareness Week is observed every October 17-23.

Throughout the month of October, join Team AgLearn in promoting and engaging with this important awareness campaign.

Background

The event began in 1985 as a week-long awareness campaign by the American Cancer Society, in partnership with Imperial Chemical Industries. It eventually extended to a month-long event. In 1992, the pink ribbon came into play.

The original use of ribbons for specific causes dates to 1979, when "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" inspired Penney Laingen — whose husband was a prisoner of war — to display yellow ribbons as a symbol of hope.

AgLearn Resources

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