National Minority Cancer Awareness Week

Washington, D.C. - National Minority Cancer Awareness Week is a dedicated time of the year that promotes awareness in the prevention of cancer spreading amongst minorities.  The U.S. House of Representatives Joint Resolution 119 designated an annual "National Minority Cancer Awareness Week" on April 8th, 1987.  It is held annually every third week of April and this week on April 15 to 21st in 2013.  

The awareness week focuses on the necessity of preparing health practitioners, social workers and researches to discover different approaches to battle cancer.  The Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) compiled data in a report that women have the highest rates in deaths due to cancer including blacks, whites, Hispanics, and Asians/Pacific Islanders. 

There are many forms of cancer including, breast, ovarian, colon, rectal, prostate, and lung cancers. Cancer is the second leading cause of death amongst women. Black women have the highest risk of cancer due to numerous amount of factors having less socioeconomic resources, radical cells spread more faster making it harder to treat, and less likely to get prompt follow-up treatment with a mammogram, less likely to get high quality treatment. Cancer is not to be taken lightly and with the correct treatment by a credible physician and the right diet could bring decrease the spread and effects of cancer on a larger scale.