Cancer awareness

The tragedy of breast cancer goes far beyond the thousands of lives it affects and ends every year.

What makes the diagnosis of the disease especially heartbreaking is the fact that breast cancer is treatable.

With that in mind, today’s edition of the Las Vegas Review-Journal was printed on pink newsprint to remind readers that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Nearly two decades ago, the Susan G. Komen Foundation began handing out pink ribbons at its Race for the Cure fundraising runs to call attention to the disease. Since then, the link between pink and breast cancer has greatly expanded to include everything from clothing to yogurt container lids. Pro baseball players have taken to swinging pink bats.

Especially during the month of October, pink expresses support for women undergoing treatment for breast cancer, recognizes those who survived their fight with the disease, honors those who died, and reminds everyone that steps can be taken — and more must be done — to keep breast cancer from striking in the first place.

Today’s pink newspaper has breast cancer stories and features in every section, including a schedule of breast cancer events in October.

All of the Review-Journal’s retail proceeds from today’s newspaper sales will be donated to the Southern Nevada chapter of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, an amount expected to exceed $20,000.

Women have a one in eight chance of being diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime. The disease hits men as well, albeit in significantly smaller numbers.

The victims of breast cancer need support — not just from loved ones, friends, health care professionals and researchers — to beat this disease.