Staff and students at East campus traded in their usual school attire and, instead, dressed in pink as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which occurs every October.
Other than skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer among American women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Mammograms are the best way to find breast cancer early, when it is easier to treat and before it is big enough to feel or cause symptoms, the federal agency says.
The CDC has information on the symptoms of breast cancer, the risk factors and how to lower the risks.
Here are the fast facts about breast cancer as outlined by the CDC:
- Each year in the United States, about 264,000 women get breast cancer and 42,000 women die from the disease.
- Men also get breast cancer, but it is not very common. About 1 out of every 100 breast cancers diagnosed in the United States is found in a man.
- Most breast cancers are found in women who are 50 years old or older, but breast cancer also affects younger women.
Students are often asked to bring home information about breast cancer awareness, in addition to showing support for prevention.
At East campus, it was a pink-out affair!