Have you heard about Pinktober?
There is always a mention of it on my social media in October, because every October since 1985 is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The word Pinktober was created by combining the words Pink and October. How smart?
How is pinktober doing with cheerleading? Well, many teams in October add pink bows or poms to their outfits. Some of them have even the whole unifroms in pink for the occasion. The pink ribbon is also a frequent element of the October shows. Why is it so important?
In developed countries, breast cancer is the most common women's cancer [1]. They account for a quarter of all cancer cases. In Poland, about 19,000 women suffer from breast cancer every year, of which 6,000 cannot be cured. Mathematical indicators say that in the next 15 years, the incidence rate will increase to 21,000 annually. "It is estimated that in the European Union member states in 2008, over 330 thousand women were diagnosed with breast cancer, and about 89 thousand died of it"[2]. "According to the report of the National Institute of Health-PZH in Warsaw published in 2019, in 2010-2016 the death rate from this cancer increased by 7.2 percent in our country" [3]. The risk of developing breast cancer increases with age. It is most often diagnosed between the ages of 50 and 69 [4]. Fortunately, the number of patients who survived 5 years after diagnosis has increased. Unfortunately, most women diagnosed do not survive a year.
Do only women get breast cancer? Men also get sick with it. Breast cancer accounts for 1% of all malignant neoplasms in men. Among men before the age of 35, the risk of developing the disease is 0.1 per 100,000 population, and after the age of 85 it will exceed 6.5 per 100,000 population [5].
That is why it is so important to talk about breast cancer, and no shame or embarrassment should take place here. There are also voices that promoting awareness is only part of the work that needs to be done. Karuna Jaggar believes that promoting pinktober is easy, worse with treatment and support for patients [6]. No matter how Pinktober is rated, if it helps anyone diagnose faster
How do teams get involved in Pinktober?
One of the most obvious element is (as I wrote at the beginning of this post) that pink elements are woven into the outfit. There are a lot of pictures of NFL cheerleaders on the Internet in "new" colors. Since 2009, the entire National Football League has recognized October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Why doesn't he do that anymore? When, in 2014, the daughter of one of the judges fell ill with neuroblastoma, he received a lot of support from the league. At that time, there was also a proposal to stop supporting awareness of breast cancer only, but to extend the action to other cancers. Since 2009, the October NFL games have been played under a pink mark. Pink cheerleader costumes, pink player costumes, and…. Pink penalty bags. Therefore, from autumn 2017, each NFL team can choose the awareness of which cancer they want to increase. Regardless of which cancer is, early detection increases the chances of a longer life or a cure. Therefore, let's talk to our players about the risks and how their health is at our heart.
[1] J. Didkowska, U. Wojciechowska, NOWOTWORY Journal of Oncology 2013, volume 63, number 2, 111–118 [2] J. Didkowska, U. Wojciechowska, NOWOTWORY Journal of Oncology 2013, volume 63, number 2, 111–118 [3] https://pulsmedycyny.pl/wzrasta-zachorowalnosc-i-umieralnosc-na-raka-piersi-962230 [4] https://www.medonet.pl/zdrowie/zdrowie-dla-kazdego,rak-piersi--co-mowia-statystyki--ile-kobiet-umiera-na-raka-piersi--czy-nowotwor-piersi-jest-wyleczalny-,artykul,1722431.html [5] http://onkologia.org.pl/rak-piersi-mezczyzn/ [6] https://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/openforum/article/Pink-ribbon-culture-is-gaslighting-women-14554817.php
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3. https://www.si.com/nfl/2016/12/13/nfl-breast-cancer-awareness-month-october-becomes-all-cancer-awareness-month