Breast Cancer Awareness | Meet Kailen

Kailen Combs Taylor (February 24, 1990 - September 15, 2015)

This Thursday on the Choose 2 Think Podcast, you will hear a story of a beautiful young woman named Kailen (pictured above) who passed away at the age of 25 from breast cancer.  Like you, I, too, knew a breast cancer diagnosis was very rare in women in their 20s and 30s.  To be sure, according to the American Cancer Society,  it accounts for less than 5% of all cases.  

In respectful honor of Kailen and others like her, and I want to share just a few facts that I found on the National Breast Cancer Foundation website AND I'd like to pose a ​challenge for you:  

• It is estimated that this year over 250,000 cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed
• Fortunately, nearly 2/3 of breast cancer cases are contained within the breast and lead to the 5-year survival rate of 99%
• There are over 3.5 million breast cancer survivors in US
• Unfortunately, it is estimated that in 2020 around 42,000 women  and about 500 men will die from this cancer in US
• 1 out of every 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in the US this year
• Breast cancer is second only to skin cancer in being the most commonly diagnosed cancer in American women and is second to lung cancer which ultimately kills more women

Even if you don't: A love story about Kailin by Amazon #1 best selling author Bryan C. Taylor

Needless to say, we all probably have a family member or friend who has received this diagnosis.  

​The C2T Episode 041 with guest Bryan C. Taylor  (coming soon) is more about love & loss and death & grief; however, October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month, and it seems appropriate to shed light on this formidable disease. 

Matter of fact, although I have annual mammograms, I'm a bit on the lazy side with personal breast exams. 

MY CHALLENGE: Let's you and I both commit to doing whatever we can personally to increase early detection.  Here's a free guide published by the National Breast Cancer Foundation  in case you'll join me!​

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