SURPRISING STUFF
Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
This function takes place from October 1 through October 31, 2026, serving as an annual international campaign to promote early detection, education, and research. Breast Cancer Awareness Month (also known as “Pink October”) highlights the critical role of regular screenings, mammograms, and self-exams. Breast Cancer Awareness Month can mean different things to different people.
For some, it’s a trigger: 31 days in the fall of pink-ribbon reminders of a disease that forever changed them. For others, it’s a chance to show their support for the more than 2 million women around the world who are diagnosed with the disease each year. Breast cancer awareness began in October of 1985 as a week-long awareness campaign by the American Cancer Society, in partnership with Imperial Chemical Industries, a British company that made tamoxifen. The campaign eventually grew into a month-long event.
In 1992, the pink ribbon came into play after Alexandra Penney, SELF magazine’s editor-in-chief, partnered with Evelyn Lauder, Estée Lauder’s senior corporate vice president and a breast cancer survivor, to distribute pink ribbons after the magazine’s second annual Breast Cancer Awareness Month issue. Since the first Breast Cancer Awareness Month more than 40 years ago, breast cancer death rates in the U.S. have dropped by 44%. It’s not a coincidence that greater awareness, increases in early detection, and advancements in treatment have coincided with the rise of BCAM.
These efforts show that when we raise awareness, we can save lives. Knowing your family history is lifesaving. For those at average risk, have a mammogram every year starting at age 40. If you have any signs of breast cancer, finding it early and treating it early may save your life. You can participate in Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October by joining organized walks, displaying the traditional pink ribbon or wearing pink items, gathering friends or coworkers to assemble comfort kits for patients currently undergoing breast cancer treatment, and much more.
