In October 1985, Betty Ford, while Gerald Ford was still president of the United States, was diagnosed with breast cancer and a movement was formed to create Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Then in 1992, the cosmetic giant Estée Lauder tied the pink ribbon to breast cancer awareness. But has it made a difference? One in eight American women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. 300,000 women this year will be diagnosed. The good news is that new drugs are improving life expectancy. And with the help of artificial intelligence, breast cancer detection is improving, but there remains a disparity where poor women do not get mammograms and can't afford the new drugs. So I encourage you this month to wear a pink ribbon, but to make sure the company you buy it from really does donate part of their profits to research and the care of women who are uninsured. This is Dr. Scott Morris for Church Health.
Breast Cancer Awareness Month
