What About the Other 11 Months After October for Breast Cancer Survivors

It is just a couple of weeks since Breast Cancer Awareness Month but already most people have forgotten all of the pink that was seen everywhere during October. That is, of course, unless you are one of those who is living with breast cancer. The belief is that everything is back to business as usual, and it is, but most likely, not in the way most believe.

“There are more of us surviving after breast cancer than ever before and the future looks brighter than ever if you care to see it.”Barbara Jacoby

For all of us who have ever dealt with breast cancer, our future is brighter than ever. While no cure has been found for breast cancer, I would be remiss if I referred to it as “breast cancer” when there are so many different types of “breast cancers”. This alone makes the job of finding answers so much harder. Further, if these breast cancers metastasize, appearing in the brain, lungs, liver or bones, they will present themselves in still different forms that require different treatments than the original breast cancer. In the past where someone living with advanced breast cancer may have had a couple of different choices in chemotherapy treatments, now there are a host of them that are used alone or in combinations as treatment. Where in the past, longevity with advanced breast cancer was measured in months, now many are living several years, five years, 10 years and even 20 years and longer.

Great strides are being made in finding answers. If you choose to look around, you will find multiple updates every single day of the research and new findings and trials that are happening from one end of this country to the other. New ways are being found to deliver therapies so that they are less invasive and more targeted to the cancers rather than having to also adversely affect healthy cells in the body. And the majority of funding is being provided to colleges and universities and research centers from the large cancer organizations and companies. These researchers are the recipients of the monies raised during October.

The balance of funds raised can be found right in the big cities and small towns across this country. There are so many people dealing with breast cancer who do not have the money to pay rent and provide food and clothing and care for their families let alone pay for the care and treatment that they need for survival. If it were not for the support and funding from cancer organizations everywhere, there would most likely be no way that those who are not financially rich would ever be able to sustain their lives and those of their families and the level of treatment that is needed to live.

Yes, another October has come and gone and for many the monies that are needed to sustain their programs will hopefully last for the entire year. But, just because the major fundraising efforts have disappeared from view, that doesn’t mean that the work is done. Now, more than ever, every person associated with organizations who support those with breast cancer and every research group will work harder than ever to find answers to help all of us. Progress is being made and hope is alive and well and resources are available for the asking. There are more of us surviving after breast cancer than ever before and the future looks brighter than ever if you care to see it.