EDITORIAL: Pink campaign has really paid off

The fall colors have been in full form this month, the gold and orange hues synonymous with autumn. October isn’t as much about fall colors anymore, though, as it is about all things pink.

Pink is the color of breast cancer awareness and it’s everywhere, from “Pink It Up” runs to “Paint the Town Pink” events. We all display our pink proudly these days. We wear pink T-shirts, pink ribbons and even pink shoes.

The Daily Inter Lake is doing its part to bring awareness of the disease to our readers with feature stories and lots of information in today’s special breast cancer awareness section.

Breast cancer awareness campaigns through the years arguably have elevated awareness of the disease to a new level. According to the American Cancer Society, early detection and improvements in treatment are helping millions of women survive the disease.

One only needs to be reminded of the staggering statistics associated with breast cancer to understand just how important these “pink” campaigns are. Each year in the U.S. 200,000 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed. Pared down further, that’s one woman diagnosed with the disease every two minutes in the U.S. One in eight women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.

We’d be remiss if we didn’t acknowledge in a big way how fortunate Flathead Valley residents are to have such outstanding medical facilities and programs ready to help those diagnosed with breast cancer. Of course we wouldn’t wish the disease on anyone, but if you have breast cancer, the Flathead is a wonderful place to be for diagnosis, treatment and continuing support.

The Bass Breast Center, a department of Kalispell Regional Medical Center, offers the region’s broadest array of breast cancer services. The Winkley Women’s Center mobile mammography bus brings imaging services to rural populations. The newest technology in breast cancer detection — 3-D mammography — is now being used on all patients getting mammograms at The Women’s Center at HealthCenter, allowing doctors to detect cancer much earlier.

The Flathead City-County Health Department helps low-income women get mammograms. Organizations such as Flathead Cancer Aid can offer with financial assistance with the everyday costs associated with cancer treatment.

Then there’s the Save a Sister initiative, the Casting for Recovery fly-fishing retreats for breast cancer patients, and the list goes on.

Wear your pink proudly this month, and know that this is a community that cares deeply about the health and wellness of its citizens.