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The Real Story of the Impact of the Pink Ribbon

Joshua Onobrumen

October marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a global health movement dedicated to education and public advocacy. It sheds light on what the disease is and how we can support affected people. Breast cancer is a disease in which normal breast cells change, grow out of control, and form a lump called a tumor. If left untreated, cancer cells can enter the bloodstream and lymphatic system, allowing for easy passage and travel to other organs.

More than 10 percent of women will be diagnosed with an invasive form in their lifetime, but because of increased investments in early prevention mechanisms, the survival rate has increased substantially. These developments can be attributed to the campaign. The awareness month officially began in October 1985 through the American Cancer Society and the AstraZeneca company, originally as a week-long campaign.

These important figures are considered the foundation of the campaign. Betty Ford, the former First Lady of the United States, was diagnosed and open about her situation, paving the way to the destigmatization of the topic. Additionally, she helped coordinate some of the first events of the campaign. Evelyn Lauder, former senior executive at skincare company Estée Lauder, was the creator of the pink ribbon, as people know it today, as the Breast Cancer Awareness symbol. In the 1970s, Rose Kushner was an active health journalist and advocate for less invasive procedures and safeguards, such as mammograms. Now a global health priority after being kept in hiding for many years, 500,00 lives have been saved.

Increased investments have been made to advance imaging, such as tomosynthesis and high-resolution MRIs. Immunotherapy treatments have developed, allowing the immune system to fight aggressive subtypes. The survival rate for localized breast Cancer has jumped from 75 to 90 percent. Last year, many hormone medications were developed and approved by the FDA, resulting in a 31 percent decrease in the risk of distant recurrence of breast cancer. The Breast Cancer Foundation states that an AI-driven platform has been created and is being tested to predict a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer over the next few years by analyzing only a mammogram. Through this framework, it identifies imaging patterns in breast tissue that correlate with cancer development, creating a 5-year score that can lay out an approach for personal care. Therefore, as next-generation treatments continue to improve survival rates, breast cancer advocacy is rooted in expanding our support systems to protect long-term wellness and peace of mind.