Hey Ladies!

My sister in-laws found this shirt at the Warped Tour and knew that it was meant for me.  Stefanie and Barbie love me like that.  Of course, I don't think that I will be wearing it out in public anytime soon, but it is still a great shirt.  

I thought that I would show you all the shirt and then put in my two cents about breast cancer prevention.  

Ladies, FEEL YOUR BOOBIES!  

It is so important to do your personal, monthly breast examinations. YOU are the first step in finding the cancer, and you will know when something isn't right.  If you find something, go to the doctor and GET IT CHECKED OUT! 

When the time comes, get your mammograms! DON'T PUT IT OFF!

If you catch the cancer soon enough, the chances of your survival go up! 

Did you know...
Breast cancer incidence in women has increased from 1 in 20 in 1960 to 1 in 8 today (about 12%).


In 2008, an estimated 182,460 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed, along with 67,770 new cases of non-invasive breast cancer. About 40,480 women are expected to die in 2008 from breast cancer, though there has been a decrease in death rates since 1990. These decreases are thought to be the result of treatment advancements, earlier detection through screening, and increased awareness.

For women in the United States, breast cancer death rates are higher than any other cancer, besides lung cancer.

Besides skin cancer, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among American women. More than 1 in 4 cancers are breast cancer.

White women, over the age of 40, have a higher rate of breast cancer than African American women over the age of 40. However, African American women under the age of 40 have a higher breast cancer rate than white women under the age of 40, and are more likely to die from this disease.
As of 2007, there are about 2.5 million American women who have survived breast cancer.
A woman’s risk of breast cancer approximately doubles if she has a first-degree relative (mother, sister, daughter) that has been diagnosed with breast cancer. About 20% – 30% of women diagnosed with breast cancer have a family history of breast cancer.

About 5-10% of breast cancers are caused by inherited gene mutations.

Mutations of the BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 genes are the most common. Women with this mutation have up to an 80% risk of developing breast cancer during their lifetime, often at a younger age. An increased ovarian cancer risk is also associated with these genetic mutations.

The most significant risk factors for breast cancer are gender (being a woman) and age (growing older).

For more information (and where I found these facts) go here.  The geniuses behind my shirt can be found here.

This post is dedicated to an amazing woman, my grandmother, Shirley Lalli, a breast cancer survivor.  She was brave enough to go through a double mastectomy and the reconstruction after.  Now her new boobs will always be perkier than mine. ;o)