Do Your Bit For Breast Cancer

Breast cancer seems to be prevalent in our society. Everyday you hear of another star who is battling the disease with celebrities such as Jennifer Saunders, Kylie Minogue, Sheryl Crowe, Christina Applegate and Olivia Newton John all having beaten breast cancer. But it can also effect those nearest and dearest to us. Personally a former flatmate of mine was diagnosed with the disease while I lived with her, my aunt finished chemotherapy for breast cancer earlier in the year and one of my dearest friends was also diagnosed with it late last year.

While there are a great many success stories about people who have beaten it, there are also still a lot of people, predominantly women, who are still losing the battle. October is Breast Cancer Awareness month to raise money and awareness. This October nearly 4,000 people will receive the devastating news they have breast cancer and another 1,000 people will die from the disease.

Pink Purchases

One way to offer your support is to buy a ‘pink’ product where a percentage of the sale price goes to breast cancer charities. We have picked some of our top buys here but with so many retailers involved, keep your eyes peeled for a ‘pink’ purchase that is helping others too.

Clockwise from top left:

• The bedroom will be all the more inviting this winter with this gorgeous Laura Ashley Louise velvet bedspread on the bed. It is available in two sizes (£190 & £324) from Laura Ashley.
• This is the tenth year Marks & Spencer have got behind Breast Cancer Awareness Month. One of the products on offer is this yummy cupcake (£1.99 for two) from M&S. Tuck in, it is for a good cause!
• This hot pink Fujifilm Finepix JV100 limited edition camera bundle not only looks good but with 12 megapixels, it takes great photos too. It is also good value as it comes with a matching case for just £89.99 from Boots.com.
• Another great buy from Marks & Spencer is this hot pink cropped cardie, (£19.50 from M&S). Bang on trend, you will look great while wearing it and feel good for supporting a good cause too.
• Don’t pass up the chance to keep your talons in the pink with OPI’s new nail lacquer ‘Pink of Hearts’, a pretty light pink which is very wearable for day and night. ‘Pink of Hearts’ is available from salons stocking OPI nationwide or buy online from Lena White Limited for £9.95.
• Pet accessories supplier Ancol has created a range of exclusive pink products for cats and dogs, these include this cute pink and grey dog coat (£13.99). For a full list of stockists please visit Ancol’s website or call 01922 402 428.
• Kelly Osbourne, Alexandra Burke and Sophie Ellis Bextor have teamed up with Dorothy Perkins to support its Stand Tall campaign for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The trio have each designed a pair of shoes reflecting aspects of their personalities, including a pink and silver toe-capped pair with studs by Kelly, a black suede pair with embellished heels by Alexandra, and a diamante covered pair by Sophie (£45, from Dorothy Perkins).
• The inclement weather may be just beginning but you can still add a touch of spring to your home with a Peony Scent Diffuser (£25 from The White Company).
• Telling the time need not be boring with this funky white and pink watch, another great item from Marks & Spencer, (£25 from M&S).

Have a Pink Friday and support Breast Cancer Care

Getting involved with Pink Fridays is easy to do and can include anything from a tea break in the office with pink food and drinks, to wearing something pink to your morning meetings.

Breast Cancer Care Ambassador, Lisa Snowdon, said:

“I’ve been an ambassador for Breast Cancer Care for five years now and I always look forward to October.  It’s a chance to get all my friends and family together, have fun and make a real difference. 3,000 people will be diagnosed with breast cancer this October alone.  By holding a Pink Friday party, however small, you will help to ensure Breast Cancer Care can be there for each and every one of them. I’m going to see if I can organise one in the office this year – it’s about time they donned some silly pink outfits!”

The facts:

– the biggest risk factor, after gender, is increasing age – 80% of breast cancers occur in women over the age of 50

– more people are being diagnosed with breast cancer but survival rates are improving – probably as a result of improved treatment and earlier detection

– breast cancer also affects men, but it is rare – around 300 men are diagnosed each year.

The stats:

– nearly 46,000 people are diagnosed with breast cancer each year in the UK. That’s one person every 11 minutes
– just over 12,000 people die from breast cancer in the UK every year
breast cancer is the second biggest cause of death from cancer for women in the UK, after lung cancer
-there are an estimated 550,000 people living in the UK today who have had a diagnosis of breast cancer
– in women under the age of 35, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer.

The fiction:

– Five years past diagnosis means I’ve got the ‘all clear’. As well as potentially experiencing long-term side effects of treatment, patients face the uncertainty that their cancer could return at any time – including a diagnosis of secondary breast cancer which can’t be cured, only controlled.
– Stress causes breast cancer. Despite numerous studies, no definitive link between stress and breast cancer has been found.
– Breast cancer is mainly a hereditary disease. Breast cancer can run in families, but fewer than 10% of cases are as a result of an inherited faulty gene.

For more information visit Breast Cancer Care, Breakthrough Breast Cancer or Cancer Research UK.