Komen Foundation Aims to Reduce Breast Cancer Deaths by 50%

Every year, 40,000 women and men die from breast cancer in the United States.

“It can happen to anybody,” said breast cancer survivor Sarah Pascual.

Pascual was just 28 years old when she was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer.

“People think breast cancer is an older women's disease and it's not. Breast cancer knows no boundaries, whether it be age, sex, socio economic status, it doesn't matter,” she said.

Pascual's now in remission, but through volunteering with Susan G. Komen San Antonio, she knows hundreds of other men and women are going through what she did.

“In Bexar County 1,042 people will be diagnosed with breast cancer and of that 184 will die from breast cancer,” Pascual said.

Within the next 10 years, Komen hopes to reduce the number of breast cancer deaths by half, through increasing education and access to care, while also advancing treatments for aggressive forms of breast cancer, such as metastatic breast cancer.

“Metastatic breast cancer is when breast cancer has spread to other organs in the body,” said Bre Jamerson with Susan G. Komen San Antonio. “Typically the brain, the lungs, and the liver. It’s very hard to treat.”

Komen also wants to focus on addressing racial and ethnic disparities.

“We looked at higher pockets of Hispanic and African American women because we know nationally, and here in Bexar County, they have a higher risk of dying from breast cancer than the nation as a whole,” said Jamerson.

Komen is also launching the be “More Than Pink” campaign in hopes to inspire people to get involved.

“Pink is more than just a color,” said Pascual. “It's everybody coming together to try and put an end to breast cancer.”

You can get involved by volunteering, hosting an event, taking part in the race for the cure, and by donating.

100% of donations given to Komen San Antonio stay local.

In honor of the Race for the Cure's 20th anniversary in San Antonio, on October 20, there will be a discount offered to all those who register for the 2017 race.

For more information, go here.