Help Make Strides Against Breast Cancer

There are 25 walks to choose from in New England - where Making Strides Against Breast Cancer began 20 years ago.

In 2012, an estimated 226,870 women and 2,190 men in the U.S. will be diagnosed with breast cancer.   An estimated 39,501 women and 410 men will die from the disease. 

Excluding cancers of the skin, breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women. And, it is the second leading cause of cancer death in women after lung cancer.

So what can you do to help? Several things. Take action by joining an American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk near you. Making Strides is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, so it's a great year to get involved if you are not already. Making Strides is a non-competitive walk ranging in length from 3 to 6 miles. We welcome people of all ages to participate and raise funds. There is no registration fee.  

The American Cancer Society is the leader in the fight to end breast cancer:

- 1 in every 2 women newly diagnosed with breast cancer reaches out to the American Cancer Society for help and support.

- We are in every community, providing free information and services - wigs, prostheses, rides to treatment, free housing when treatment is far from home, and more.

- Our cancer information specialists are available around-the-clock every single day to provide trusted information and comfort when it's needed most. The toll-free number is 1.800.227.2345.

- The American Cancer Society invests the most in research to find, prevent, treat, and cure cancer than any other non-governmental organization. We know that discoveries in one area can often help find answers in another.


Our 2102 Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Events

There will be 25 Making Strides events happening throughout New England in October, including two new Making Strides events - in Rutland, VT, and New London County in Connecticut. All locations are listed below. Our new Web sites for each event, where you can register, use our online fundraising tools, and learn much more, will be launching in early May.

Massachusetts

Boston - Sunday, Oct. 14
Worcester - Sunday, Oct. 21
Cape Cod - Sunday, Oct. 21
Berkshires - Sunday, Oct. 14
Nantucket - Sunday, Oct. 14

Connecticut

Westport - Sunday, Oct. 21
Hartford - Sunday, Oct. 21
New Haven - Sunday, Oct. 14
Litchfield - Sunday, Oct. 14
New London - NEW THIS YEAR - Sunday, Oct. 28

New Hampshire

Concord - Sunday, Oct. 14
Dover - Sunday, Oct. 21
Exeter - Sunday, Oct. 21
Laconia - Sunday, Oct. 14
Manchester - Sunday, Oct. 21
Nashua - Sunday, Oct. 14
North Conway - Sunday, Oct. 14
Peterborough - Sunday, Oct. 14

Maine

Brunswick - Sunday, Oct. 14
Damariscotta - Sunday, Oct. 14
Kittery - Sunday, Oct. 14
Portland - Sunday, Oct. 14

Rhode Island

Providence - Sunday, Oct. 21

Vermont

Chittenden County (South Burlington) - Sunday, Oct. 21
Rutland - NEW THIS YEAR - Sunday, Oct. 21


Sign up to be notified when our new Web sites launch!

Visit cancer.org/stridesonline to sign up to be notified when our new Web sites launch. Or, call 1.800.227.2345 to learn more. 


Reducing Your Risk

Another step you can take to fight breast cancer is a personal one. While there is no way to absolutely prevent breast cancer, there are things women can do in their daily lives that will help lower their risk:

• Maintain a healthy weight throughout life.
• Balance calorie intake with physical activity.
• Achieve and maintain a healthy weight if currently overweight or obese.
• Adopt a physically active lifestyle.
• Engage in at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity, in addition to usual activities, on 5 or more days of the week; 45 to 60 minutes of intentional physical activity is preferable.
• Encourage your children and adolescents to engage in at least 60 minutes per day of moderate to vigorous physical activity at least 5 days per week.
• Eat a healthy diet, with an emphasis on plant sources.
• Choose foods and drinks in amounts that help achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
• Eat 5 or more servings of a variety of vegetables and fruits each day.
• Choose whole grains over processed (refined) grains.
• Limit intake of processed and red meats.
• If you drink alcoholic beverages, limit your intake.
• Women should drink no more than 1 drink per day (or 2 per day for men).

Why the American Cancer Society

The American Cancer Society currently invests more in breast cancer research to better understand, prevent, and cure the disease than in any other cancer site. We take pride in funding promising researchers early in their careers, and our track record is something we share with pride. Of the researchers chosen for Society funding throughout the years, 46 have gone on to win the Nobel Prize. Thanks to fundraising supporters like you, the American Cancer Society has played a role in nearly every major cancer research breakthrough in recent history, including:

•Funding research into breast-conserving surgery, using lumpectomy plus radiation for treatment
•Establishing mammography as the gold standard to find breast cancer early
•Discovering lifesaving treatments (such as Herceptin) to improve breast cancer survival and drugs (such as Tamoxifen) to reduce the risk of second or first breast cancer
•Discovering genes for inherited breast and colon cancer
•Confirming the knowledge that genetics, diet, lack of exercise, and alcohol abuse can increase a person's cancer risk
•Discovering cancer-causing oncogenes and tumor-suppressor genes

Currently, breast cancer research projects are under way at institutions across the country, thanks in large part to the funds raised by Making Strides Against Breast Cancer participants. With your continued help, we can blaze a trail toward the next great discovery and make strides to end breast cancer.