To see past issues of To Your health , please click here . Breast Cancer in Illinois October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month in Illinois. Today, one out of every eight American women will develop breast cancer sometime during her life.
Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in Illinois women.
Realizing that there is a possibility for developing breast cancer is a woman's first step toward taking control of her health. All women are at risk of breast cancer, regardless of age, race, ethnicity or sexual orientation, and there is no way to prevent breast cancer. African-American women die from breast cancer at a higher rate than women of any other race. Minority women in general tend to be diagnosed at a more advanced stage of breast cancer. Early detection could save many of the lives lost to breast cancer each year.