October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime -- that's one person every 12 minutes in the U.S. Experts say the two greatest risk factors of breast cancer are being female and getting older.
It's estimated that 317,000 women in the U.S will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in 2025 and more than 42,000 women will die from the disease. And to be clear, it's not just a woman-only disease: An estimated 2,800 men in the U.S. will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2025, and about 510 are expected to die from the disease. Also, Black women in the U.S. are about 40% more likely to die from breast cancer than white women.
Marion County Commissioner Michelle Stone is a breast cancer survivor, and says that no matter the progress against the disease, awareness about those statistics have to continue to be a front and center conversation among women.
"Any chance I have an opportunity to talk about breast cancer to the public. I accept it as I did today. But again, that special day on a calendar that is circled that I know that a self-exam is needing to happen for myself, and then asking those that I love around me. Have you done your own self breast examination? And that, I think, will continue to be something that we can help educate and help our friends and loved ones make sure that they're taking advantage of and their self breast exam and getting that word out to their friends and families as well."