OUR VIEW: Breast cancer is serious business

The pink bras hanging in the hallway of Taggart Student Center aren’t there to make you feel uncomfortable. They’re there to get your attention. About 200,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year, and 40,000 die. October is dedicated to supporting victims, educating others and ultimately finding a cure for this disease. USU stepped up and dedicated a week on campus specifically to make students more aware of the risks, possible prevention and steps to detecting cancer before its too late. With all women on campus facing a one in nine chance of developing breast cancer in their lives, we applaud this week’s efforts and offer some advice of our own. Although yearly mammograms are not recommended for women until age 40, self-breast exams should be done routinely. The earlier the disease is detected, the more likely women are to survive it. And the older you get, the chances of developing breast cancer increase. While several of the risk factors for breast cancer are genetic, gender at the top of the list, there are things USU women, regardless of their age, can begin doing now to decrease their risks. These include things that will also lead to better overall health like eating smarter and exercising more, not smoking or drinking in excess. Also, be aware of your personal and family history and talk to your doctor before beginning any kind of hormone replacement therapy. The pink bras hanging in the hall may not directly save a life. But if the information they represent can save one of our own, we say leave them up year round.