Pink October: Get screened for breast cancer!

October is international breast cancer awareness month. In Europe alone there are an estimated 430,000 new cases a year and in the EU breast cancer will affect one in 10 women before the age of 80. An exhibition in Parliament called “Pink October” aims to promote screening as a key preventative measure.

Over 130,000 women and 1000 men died from breast cancer in 2006, according to the pan-European breast cancer organisation “Europa Donna”.  
 
MEPs want screening for all 50-69 year old women
 
Two years ago MEPs called for all countries in Europe to screen all women between 50 and 69 every two years. In a resolution this April Members sharply criticised the disparities in screening and treatment across Europe.
 
They believe greater screening could dramatically reduce death rates and ease the overall burden of cancer in Europe. At the opening of the exhibition parliament's President Hans-Gert Pöttering said that “about a third of the cancer burden could be prevented if cases where detected and treated early”.
 
This latest exhibition sees the parliament's buildings in Brussels adorned with pictures of real sufferers and survivors. It has been organised by the current French Presidency of the EU and French MEP Elisabeth Morin of the EPP-ED group.
 
Opening the exhibition Roselyne Bachelot-Narquin, the French Minister of Health implored people to “go for screening to increase your chances of living a longer, healthy life”.
 
Screening plus an active life
 
An active and healthy life is seen as key to avoiding and surviving breast cancer. Unusual changes in the breast can be a sign of potential problems.
 
According to International Cancer Research Centre “an increasingly sedentary lifestyle, weight gain, obesity and sociological changes are leading to large increases in breast and colorectal cancer ”.