CLEWISTON — The Clewiston Police Department announced that they have “gone pink” for October, which is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The National Breast Cancer Foundation promotes this annual campaign with the hope of increasing awareness of the disease.

Breast cancer is a disease in which malignant cells form in the tissues of the breast. According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation:
• One in every eight women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime.
• Breast cancer is the most common cancer in American women, except for skin cancers. It is estimated that in 2020, approximately 30% of all new women cancer diagnoses will be breast cancer.

• There are over 3.5 million breast cancer survivors in the United States.
• On average, every 2 minutes a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States.
• In 2020, an estimated 276,480 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women in the U.S. as well as 48,530 new cases of non-invasive (in situ) breast cancer.
• Although rare, men get breast cancer, too. In 2020, an estimated 2,620 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year in the U.S. and approximately 520 will die.

To help with recognizing the signs and symptoms of what could potentially be breast cancer, the American Cancer Society has identified three steps you can take to be proactive about your breast health and help increase your chances of detecting breast cancer early.

“First, knowing how to complete a breast self-exam is something every woman should do once a month at home. Breast self-exams help you become familiar with how your breasts look and feel so you can alert your doctor if there are any changes,” says Rebecca Cuellar, a local retired nurse and breast cancer survivor, who now volunteers as Breast Cancer advocate. “Secondly, is a clinical breast exam, performed by a health care professional who is trained to recognize many different types of abnormalities and warning signs. This in-office exam is typically completed by your family physician or gynecologist at your annual exam. Last, your doctor may then recommend a mammogram, which is an X-ray that allows a specialist to examine the breast tissue for any suspicious areas. Mammograms can often show a breast lump before it can be felt.”

Cuellar explains: “We must remain proactive with our health and communicate with our physicians, and make sure we schedule regular screening exams to ensure early detection. Early detection has proven to save lives! We are so thankful others are standing up with us in the fight against breast cancer, big, big thank you to the Clewiston Police!”

On Oct. 1, officers at the Clewiston Police Department donned their pink Smith & Warren badges, as a show of solidarity as they stand united in the fight against breast cancer. They will wear the badges proudly throughout October. Smith & Warren donates a portion of each badge purchase to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.