Breast Cancer Seminar Urges ‘Be Aware and Show You Care’

January 30th, 2012 - Filed under: News

UA’s Department of Human Resources invites faculty and staff to join Head Gymnastics Coach Sarah Patterson and Associate Vice President of Human Resources Charlotte Harris, as they kick off the informational seminar “Breast Cancer….Be Aware and Show You Care.”

The seminar will be held Feb. 15, two days prior to the Power of Pink gymnastics meet against the University of Arkansas. Kristi Acker, advanced certified oncology nurse practitioner, will conduct the session. Acker has more than 20 years nursing experience with a focus on adult health, oncology and palliative care.

The seminar will address questions such as:

• What is breast cancer?

• What causes breast cancer?

• Can breast cancer be prevented?

• What are risk factors for breast cancer?

• What are the symptoms of breast cancer?

“Raising awareness of breast cancer is important for both men and women,” says Harris. “A lot of us think it can never happen to us, but, it frequently can and does. Awareness of the disease, regular exams, early detection and good medical care are critical for a positive outcome.”

The breast cancer seminar is the first in a series of informational sessions.

The seminar will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 15, from 1–2 p.m. in room G-54 Rose Administration.

To register go to hr.ua.edu. Look for details about the seminar under the HR News section.

Quick facts about breast cancer:

• More than 230,000 women and 2,100 men were diagnosed with breast cancer in the U.S. in 2011.

• More than 39,000 women and 450 men die each year from the disease.

• Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, after lung cancer.

• Breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer in women (excluding skin cancer).

• One person is diagnosed approximately every three minutes and one person dies of breast cancer approximately every 14 minutes.

• People over the age of 50 account for 76 percent of breast cancer cases; while 18 percent are in their 40s and only 5 percent of breast cancer diagnoses are in people under the age of 40.

• Approximately one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer.

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