Help us Give the Gift of Early Detection This Breast Cancer Awareness Month
October marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a time to come together, raise awareness and champion the importance of early detection. Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide, accounting for nearly 30% of all new female cancers each year. When caught early though, the five-year relative survival rate is 99%. Early detection allows doctors to find cancer before it spreads, offering more treatment options and better outcomes. For many women, however, access to mammograms is limited due to financial barriers. Many are either uninsured or underinsured. Women from underserved communities face the highest risks of late-stage diagnosis because they lack access to routine screenings like mammograms. With your support, we can change that.
Learn more about how to join the fight against breast cancer and give more women in need the gift of early detection.
Fun & Inspiring Ways to Make a Difference
When it comes to supporting a cause as meaningful as cancer research and patient care, every effort counts. West Cancer Foundation relies on contributions from individuals and corporate partners to advance our mission of breaking barriers to cancer care and improving patient outcomes. Here’s a fun list of creative and easy ways to get involved and start your own fundraising initiative, whether you’re an individual, part of a group or a corporate partner.
Ride to Rosemary® Team Raises More than $280,000 in the 14th Annual
Ride to Rosemary Beach, FL
Last week the Ride 2 Rosemary® team of more than 60 cyclists successfully completed their 525-mile journey from Germantown, TN, to Rosemary Beach, FL, raising more than $280,000 with donations still coming in! Over the past 14 years, this growing team of cyclists has raised more than $2.5 million to fund supportive care in our community.
Dr. Todd Tillmanns, co-founder of the team and an oncologist at West Cancer Center, said his favorite part about the ride is “Just knowing they’re doing something good.”
Mark your Calendars: Free Community Health Fair
Come on down to The Healing Center Saturday, November 9, for a free community health fair sponsored by West Cancer Foundation, UTHSC College of Nursing, ShotRx and PCEC. Join us to raise awareness about prostate cancer and provide crucial health screening for men in our community. We will be offering a FREE 7-point easy blood screening test, including PSA, Testosterone, Cholesterol, Triglycerides and LDL. Free flu shots and COVID vaccines will also be available along with blood pressure BMI and vision tests.
FDA Now Requires Patients to be Notified About the Density of Their Breasts
Having dense breasts can put women at higher risk of breast cancer and make it more difficult to spot cancer on a mammogram, but many don’t realize it’s a significant risk. The FDA is now requiring all mammography reports and result letters that are sent to patients include an assessment of their breast density. Breast density is a measurement of how much fibroglandular tissue there is in a woman’s breast versus fatty tissue. The more fibroglandular tissue, the denser the breast.
Dense breast tissue can hide cancer on a mammogram since the tissue appears white on a mammogram, in the same way lumps and tumors appear. The new FDA changes require facilities to provide patients with information about their breast density and include specific language in the mammogram result letter to explain how breast density can influence the accuracy of a mammogram.
Breast Cancer Awareness Fundraisers
In October, we wear pink 🩷 In the spirit of Breast Cancer Awareness and DIY fundraising, check out these wonderful fundraisers a couple of our community partners are doing to raise money for the Foundation this month:
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Memphis Fire Fighters Association Local 1784 Breast Cancer Awareness shirts. Shirts can be purchased at 5150 Stage Road or online here.
- Have an upcoming move? Contact My Town Movers. For every onsite estimate they do this month, they’ll donate $20 to breast cancer awareness through West Cancer Foundation. Schedule your estimate here.
Our Mission
West Cancer Foundation’s mission is to break through barriers to cancer care and improve patient outcomes by providing accessible patient resources, early detection and education, and community-based research.
