Susan G. Komen for the Cure visited the UA on Friday to educate students on the importance of taking control of their breast health.

Komen On the Go is a nationwide tour where pink vehicles come to college campuses to spread the word about breast cancer. The pink bus had eight laptop computers set up with headphones displaying an interactive presentation where students gained information about the disease and the work the Komen Initiative is doing to combat it.

After viewing the presentation, students were given pink bags that contained information on breast self-examination, a fact sheet on breast health basics and a brochure about the importance of maintaining breast health.

“”This particular event targets young folks,”” said Susan Priest, the community resource manager for Susan G. Komen for the Cure in Arizona. “”It is important for students to be aware because breast cancer does strike both men and women, and it strikes at early ages.””

Susan G. Komen for the Cure was founded on the promise of one sister to another: Nancy Brinker to her sister Susan G. Komen, who died from breast cancer at the age of 36. Susan G. Komen for the Cure is the world’s largest, most progressive grassroots network fighting to end breast cancer and the largest private funder of research, Priest said.

Cindy Yi, an accounting senior, was a volunteer at the event.

“”People needing treatment, but being unable to afford it, is a huge problem,”” she said.

Part of Yi’s role was to sign up students for various initiatives that help raise money for the organization. The focuses of the initiatives range from giving health care to cancer victims who are unable to afford it, to funding research and early detection programs.

One of these initiatives is the I Vote for the Cure campaign, a challenge to presidential candidates to provide all women access to early detection methods, funding for research and high quality treatment.

“”Our aim is to end breast cancer forever through education, early detection and helping the underserved get the services they need to help them live a long life,”” Priest said.

This is done through the grants program that is funded by such events as Komen for the Cure, as well as donations made throughout the year. They are the largest source of non-profit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer, she added.

Priest stressed that breast cancer is not colorblind. Black women have a 36 percent higher death rate from breast cancer than Caucasian women. With the highest death rate and also the poorest survival rate belonging to black Americans, Susan G. Komen for the Cure launched their Circle of Promise campaign for black women to take care of tProxy-Connection: keep-alive
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mselves and be ambassadors in their communities, to make sure all have access to proper health care for early detection and treatment.

Susan G. Komen for the Cure urges women to know the risks and tests available and to make lifestyle changes to reduce the risk of breast cancer. They also stress the importance of talking to family members and a doctor, as well as having yearly mammograms from the age of 40, and breast exams every three years from the age of 20, then every year after the age of 40.

In southern Arizona, the breast cancer rate is higher than the national average of one-in-eight. One in six southern Arizona women will have breast cancer in their lifetime.