Community Raises Breast Cancer Awareness
By Nicole Gill Council, Council Magazine
Breast cancer survivors and their supporters gathered in early October for the Healthy Trails 5K Walk/Run for Breast Cancer Awareness in Prince George’s County, Maryland.
Participants warm up and stretch ahead of the Healthy Trails 5K Walk/Run for Breast Cancer Awareness.
Runners line up at the race’s starting line.
Nearly 110 people participated in the event held on the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Trail sponsored by the health and wellness team in the Youth and Countywide Sports Division of the Prince George’s County Department of Parks and Recreation.
As the nation marks another Breast Cancer Awareness Month, it’s important to note some of the statistics. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identifies breast cancer as one of the most common cancers among American women. There are different types of breast cancer that are determined based on where the cancer begins, such as in the lobes or the ducts.
The American Cancer Society identifies breast cancer as the second-leading cause of cancer deaths among women. Each year, 42,000 women die from breast cancer in the U.S., the CDC reports.
The cancer society, citing the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results 18 registries from the National Cancer Institute, notes the five-year survival rate (2010-2016) for breast cancer in women is 90%. This includes all stages of breast cancer.
Tracy Colbert is a breast cancer survivor who participated in the 5K walk/run. Colbert, sporting pink hair, said, “I’m going to continue to fight for my sisters, my breasties. I’m all in. Pink forever.”
Photography by CouncilMag.com
Cheryl Houston, center, is interviewed.
Tracy Colbert was walking to let women know that they need to get mammograms. “Breast cancer was a surprise to me,” she said. “It didn’t run in my family. I had no signs, but the mammogram told me what I need to know. And I say to all my ladies, tell your daughters, your sisters, your neighbors, whomever, to get checked.”
Prince George’s County resident Cheryl Houston was walking that day to support Colbert. “I have been supporting (Colbert) since day one and will continue to support her in this fight.”
About 255,000 women get breast cancer each year in the United States, according to the CDC. Breast cancer is more common in women 50 and older, however, about 9% of new cases are found in women younger than 45, the CDC says.
