— THE SHORT VERSIONOctober is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. About 1 in 8 U.S. women will develop breast cancer, and caught at its earliest, localized stage, the five-year survival rate is over 99%.
Awareness should mean action: knowing your risk, noticing changes in your body, and pushing for access to screening and care.
Marketing & Publicity intern Caroline shares her Zeta Tau Alpha philanthropy work, including Pink Week and Big Man on Campus. Her chapter raised over $100K last year.
Breast cancer has touched her chapter and her own family, which fuels her advocacy.
Comma is integrating the Tyrer-Cuzick risk model into Sara so users can understand their personal risk and have better-informed conversations with their providers.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month
October is a time to bring attention to a disease that has touched so many of our lives, whether personally or through someone we love. Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women in the U.S., with approximately 1 in 8 women developing it in their lifetime. And while awareness is important, what we do with that awareness matters even more. Early detection can make a meaningful difference, expanding treatment options and improving outcomes.
When breast cancer is detected at its earliest, most localized stage, the five-year relative survival rate exceeds 99%. Sometimes, even a simple conversation can make a world of difference, encouraging someone to learn about their risk, recognize a symptom, or seek care.
But breast cancer awareness extends far beyond a pink ribbon. It means understanding our individual risk, recognizing changes in our bodies, and advocating for access to the information, screening, and care that everyone deserves.
This month, our Marketing & Publicity intern, Caroline, shares what breast cancer awareness means to her, from her involvement in Zeta Tau Alpha’s philanthropy to the women in her life who inspire her to turn awareness into action.
Zeta Tau Alpha’s Commitment to Breast Cancer Awareness
At Zeta Tau Alpha, our philanthropy is breast cancer education and awareness. Across the country, Zeta chapters partner with organizations like the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, the NFL’s Crucial Catch initiative, and the American Cancer Society to support breast cancer awareness and research. This year, my chapter has set a goal of raising $85,000. After raising more than $100,000 last year, I am confident that we can reach this goal and continue making an impact.
One of the main ways we raise money and spread awareness is through Pink Week, a weeklong series of events that brings organizations from across campus together in support of our philanthropy. Our biggest event is Big Man on Campus, where participating organizations nominate a male representative to compete in a pageant-style event. The competition includes a fashion show, a decorated bra showcase, a question-and-answer round, and a talent portion. While the event is fun, what makes it especially meaningful is seeing so many organizations come together for a cause that affects so many people. Many of the participants have personal connections to breast cancer, making their involvement a way to give back to the important women in their lives.
Something we consistently say in Zeta is that our efforts will not stop until 1 in 8 become none in 8💝
What Philanthropy Has Taught Me
Being a member of Zeta Tau Alpha has taught me so much about breast cancer, not only through education but also by showing me just how many lives the disease touches. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, and I have seen that statistic reflected in my own chapter through the experiences of friends, mothers, grandmothers, and aunts. Breast cancer also has a personal connection to my own family, making the opportunity to learn more about the disease and support those affected by it especially meaningful to me. Seeing how closely breast cancer has touched the lives of the people around me has made this cause even more meaningful to me and strengthened my passion for raising awareness.
Learning Through my Internship at Comma
“Working at Comma this semester has made me an even stronger advocate for women’s health. Through my internship, I have learned how important it is to make healthcare information accessible and help people feel more comfortable talking about their health. Through Zeta Tau Alpha events, I have also had the opportunity to hear women share their experiences with breast cancer and some of the challenges they have faced with mammograms. One challenge is that routine mammogram screening generally begins around age 40, which can leave younger women wondering how to monitor their health. The discomfort that can come with mammograms can also make screening a difficult experience for some women. Hearing these experiences has made me realize how important Comma’s work is. Beyond expanding access to breast cancer screening tools, Comma is working to help women better understand their bodies, access health information, and feel empowered to have informed conversations about their health.”
We are so lucky to have Caroline working with us this semester.
The Work We’re Doing at Comma
At Comma, expanding access to reproductive and women's healthcare is at the heart of what we do. We're currently working to integrate the Tyrer-Cuzick breast cancer risk assessment model into Sara, bringing a widely used, clinically validated tool for estimating breast cancer risk directly to our users. By making tools like this more accessible, we hope to give individuals a clearer understanding of their personal risk and the information they need to have more informed conversations with their healthcare providers.
While October offers an important opportunity to spotlight breast cancer, our work toward a future where everyone has access to the education, resources, and tools to take charge of their health continues every day of the year.
Caroline
Caroline is a Marketing & Publicity intern who is a Communication major at Virginia Tech. Her interests lie in brand communication, marketing, and publishing.
