|
THE HOME PARTY OF LEE COUNTY HELPS IN MAKING STRIDES AGAINST
BREAST CANCER
Fort
Myers, Florida - October is National Breast Cancer Awareness
Month, and if it hasn't already, breast cancer will touch you
or someone you know. The disease will strike nearly 200,000
times this year claiming 40,000 lives. If those statistics aren’t
sobering enough, our own state ranked third in the nation for
most diagnosed cases of breast cancer in 2005.
Making Strides Against Breast Cancer (MSABC) is a national campaign
to raise local funds. All of the money raised will stay
in Lee County for patient and family services.
In order to help fight the disease and contribute to its cure,
Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Lee County has teamed up
with the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre to host ‘the Home
Party’ of the season!
On Monday, October 24th. the theatre opened its doors so attendees
could open their purses and hearts to help find a cure for this
insidious disease.
Six special vendors - Southern Living at Home, Mary Kay Cosmetics,
Pampered Chef, Creative Memories, Tupperware and Carambola Unique
Artistic Pieces - showcased their items and offered them for
sale as well as book parties with attendees.
Gina Birch, DJ at WINK 96.9FM was emcee for the evening! This
unique fundraiser included dynamic speakers on the topic of
breast cancer offering education, information and support as
well as hope. Speakers were: Jackie Speas, a lymphodema specialist,
Cookie Needles from Lee Cancer Care and Mary Kay Peterson from
Radiology Regional.
Food, drink and fun are included in the $5 donation fee for
this exciting evening and breast cancer items such as pink ribbon
pins and teddy bears will be for sale as well. A Silent Auction
and Chinese Raffle rounded out the tempting offerings! For more
information call Rhonda Heilman at 278-4422 or Marlene Knoll
at 415-5069.
Breast
Cancer Facts From www.breastcancer.org
Did
You Know?…
- Florida ranked third in the nation for most
diagnosed cases of breast cancer in 2005
- Cancer is a group of diseases that occur
when cells become abnormal and divide without control or order
- 80% of all breast tumors are benign (non-Cancerous)
- Breast cancer is the most common cancer in
women aside from Skin Cancer
- An estimated 40,410 women will die this
year alone from this disease of the nearly quarter-of-a-million
women who are diagnosed with breast cancer
Risk
factors for the disease include:
- 82% of breast cancer occurs in women over
50 and the risk is higher for women 60 and over
- Family history of disease predisposes a female
to the disease
- Early first periods, women who never have
children
Decrease
risk factors by:
- Decreasing fat intake
- Increasing fiber
- Limiting alcohol intake
- Staying active and exercising
- Not smoking
- Get regular mammograms
Facts
About Breast Cancer
There are four stages to breast cancer and
depending upon the stage a woman is in, this affects her treatment
options
In general, the basic choices for treatment
for breast cancer are surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and
hormonal therapy.
Studies show that regular breast self-exams, combined with
an annual exam by a doctor, improves the chances of detecting
cancer early.
|
