The month October is being celebrated as the Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which aims at raising awareness about the disease affecting a number of women across the globe.

In 1985, the initiation of the Breast Cancer Awareness Month took place with the efforts of AstraZeneca, which used to make drugs such as Arimidex and Tamoxifen. The basic aim, then, was to make people aware about mammography as a treatment for the breast cancer.

The Breast Cancer Research Foundation was discovered in 1993, and then only, Pink Ribbon was associated with breast cancer, which later on became an official symbol.

Due to lack of knowledge, breast cancer often goes unnoticed and when it is diagnosed it’s too late. One in every 14 female children is likely to get affected with breast cancer, as revealed by recent statistics.

A number of researches have been carried out in context of finding treatment and cause of breast cancer. According to experts, the disease erupts due to mutations in DNA that converts breast cells into cancer cells. But, there are some genes that can halt the development of cancer cells.

There are some risk factors related to the disease. One such factor is aging. The threat rises with increase in age and the most vulnerable group to breast cancer are women between the age of 40-60, and 16% of these women suffer from breast cancer related troubles. Other factors include hereditary, hormonal changes, breast feeding, alcohol consumption, smoking, etc.