October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Each year in the U.S. hundreds of thousands of women receive a breast cancer diagnosis. About 1 in every 8 women in the U.S. will fight breast cancer in their lifetime.
The National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc. states, “In 2021 an estimated 281,550 cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women in the U.S.”
The exact causes of breast cancer are not known. However, breast cancer forms when the healthy cells’ DNA are damaged and those cells begin to mutate and grow.
How You Can Help
After a diagnosis, family, friends, and loved ones often feel helpless and want to know how they can help. There are many resources with great ideas on how to help people going through cancer treatment.
Check out these sites for inspiration:
- Susan G. Komen: Help for cancer patients and their caretakers
- Cancer.Org: Resource for caregivers
- Breast Cancer Awareness Month
How Giving Blood Helps People Battling Cancer
Blood and platelet donations are often the lifeline for cancer patients. Surgery and chemotherapy treatments can deplete cancer patients red blood cell count and frequently require blood transfusions. Blood and platelets help the body recover from cancer treatment and can help prevent life-threatening blood loss.
Platelet are especially important to patients battling cancer. Platelets are stem cell fragments created in your bone marrow to help clot your blood. Nearly 38% of platelet donations are given to cancer patients.
Unite in the Fight
Find a Big Red Bus or Donor Center near you and make an appointment to give back today.
