Wear a Pair of Jeans Today!

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month and today is Lee National Denim Day - a day sponsored by Lee Jeans to bring awareness of this disease to the world.

Chances are good that someone you love has, has had, or will have breast cancer. In my own family, my mother-in-law (as well as a previous mother-in-law) and a half-sister have had the disease... and I have known many other breast cancer survivors as well as some wonderful people, both male and female, whose lives have been cut short by this disease.

Here are some recent statistics -

2009 Breast Cancer Facts (courtesy of Lee National Denim Day)

• Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the United States, other than skin cancer. It is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, after lung cancer.
• One of every eight women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime; 1 in 33 will die from it.
• An estimated 182,460 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to occur among women in the US each year; about 1,990 new cases are expected in men.
• An estimated 40,480 women will die from breast cancer each year. An estimated 450 men will die from breast cancer.
• More than 2 million women in the U.S. are living as breast cancer survivors.
• In 2007, 23,790 women under the age of 45 were diagnosed (16,150 with invasive, 7,640 with in situ).
• African Americans have the highest death rate from breast cancer of any racial/ethnic group in the United States.
• Only 5 to 10 percent of breast cancers are due to heredity. The majority of women with breast cancer have no known significant family history or other known risk factors.

No one, female or male, is immune to this disease, but as with any disease process, early detection is the best way to increase your survival rate. It's important to do those monthly self exams, have your yearly mammogram beginning at age 35 (younger if you have a family history of a first degree relative - mother, sister, daughter - who has had breast cancer). Know your body - and don't allow your healthcare provider to downplay any concerns you might have.

Not every breast cancer presents with a lump either. Inflammatory breast cancer often infiltrates the breast tissue without ever causing the "lumps" that are usually associated with breast cancer. For more information on the symptoms associated with this particular form of cancer, click here.

So, on this Lee National Denim Day - wear a pair of jeans, schedule that mammogram, do that exam, and call your friends and family members and encourage them to do the same. And if you are one of the people who has this disease or if someone you care about does, remember that there is hope. Funded by programs like Lee National Denim Day, groups like the Susan G Komen Foundation and the National Breast Cancer Coalition are working hard to find a cure for this disease, as well as advocating awareness.


"Heart" life and help fight this killer. All or part of the proceeds from all of of the items shown in this post, as well as many other items available on Etsy (search "breast cancer") will be donated to help find an answer. A special thank you goes out to these shops and all of the other great Etsy shops who support this cause:

Roses of Courage Woman - Middleburg
Hooters for Hooters Lampwork Glass Focal Bead - StudioMarcy
MORE THAN A SURVIVOR - GiftsbyNancy
Mothers Daughters Sisters Friends - beadznthingz
Breast Cancer Awareness Pink and Sterling Silver Earrings - PookieandPierre
Survivor. 100 percent to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. - WildDogStudio
raining rose, benefitting the Susan G. Komen Foundation - allieart4children