130 million steps

October is such an exciting month for most of us. For the students, it is time to celebrate because the 1st Semester is about to  end and it is vacation time. For the millennials, October means it's beer time! Oktoberfest na.  But what is more important this October is that it's also the 'Breast Cancer Awareness' month. With breast cancer being no. 1  among all other cancer types in the country, there is a need to inform and educate Filipino women on the advocacy because breast  cancer is curable if detected early and treated properly.

 Breast cancer is a type of cancer (or tumor) found in the tissues of the breast. There are two primary kinds of breast cancer: > Ductal Carcinoma (ductal tubes that channel milk to the nipple) and Lobular Carcinoma (from the mammary lobes).

How common is breast cancer in the Philippines?

According to studies, breast cancer ranks no. 1 among all cancers in the country. But sadly, for most Filipino women, they still lack information on breast cancer. Some believe that very few survive from the disease. The notion of high cost of medical treatment prevents them from seeking medical help not knowing that at early stage costs are still manageable.

There are almost no symptoms in early breast cancer. That is why a regular breast examination is the very key for early detection.  Early symptoms may involve growing lump, not regular in shape and painless. Change in the size, shape or sensitivity of the breast or nipple and discharge on the nipple.

Breast cancer in men is a rare occurrence but it can happen. Sadly for women, the chances are 100x more than men.  Older  women are at more risk for breast cancer. The Philippine Cancer Society recommends regular monthly breast self-examination, an annual clinical breast exam and mammography. Talking with your doctor is very important for guidance in detection.

This year, Avon Philippines celebrates 130 years globally, the company invites men and women to take part in a grand  challenge: to walk “130 Million Steps to Fight Breast Cancer.”Last October 9, a send off was held at Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex. As participants downloaded the pedometer app and joined a 3K send off. Celebrity trainers coach Jim and Toni Saret started their nationwide Walk of Awareness to promote the cause and the Avon Pedometer App. They have already covered Legaspi, Baguio,  IloIlo and tomorrow, October 23, both coach Jim and Toni will be in Cebu at Plaza Independencia at 4 pm.So if you are free, please  drop by, bring your friends, family and join the fun walk spearheaded by Coco Running club with the Metafit Cebu, Metafit Qualfon and Metafit Tri Team. It is free of charge.  Joel Juarez will be facilitating the walk and if you are fast runner, I suggest you run until everybody has completed 3 loops around the Plaza Indepencia.

The application is available for free on the Google Play Store and App Store. Just sign up, set your step goal for the day, and  start walking. When connected to the internet, your steps are automatically synched to the grand total, and you can track your total contribution to the campaign. By sharing daily step achievements on Facebook and inviting friends to join the #130MillionSteps challenge, everyone can help create more awareness for the cause.