October is “International Breast Cancer Awareness Month”, an annual event to increase awareness of the condition.

Worldwide, more than a million women are diagnosed with breast cancer every year, with 430,000 new cases of breast cancer occurring in Europe. To increase public knowledge and understanding of the disease, raise funds for research into the disease and support people affected by it, breast cancer and cancer charities all over the world champion the cause every October, employing the pink ribbon - now a global symbol of breast cancer awareness.

European breast cancer activities in 2007 included a meeting to discuss the steps required to implement a European accreditation scheme for breast cancer services, organised by the European Parliamentary Group on Breast Cancer (EPGBC). The meeting, which took place on the 2 October, was attended by directors and leaders of the European Commission’s DG SANCO and DG ENTR, the European Co-operation for Accreditation (EA), the European Cancer Network (ECN), EUROPA DONNA and MEPs, including members of the MEPs Against Cancer (MAC), which brings together over 60 member of the European Parliament committed to promoting action on cancer as an EU priority.

This was followed, on the 17 October by a Breast Cancer Information day. Held at the European Parliament, the workshop brought together more than 100 breast care nurses, MEPs, breast cancer experts and advocates. The workshop organised by Presidents of the European Parliamentary Group on Breast Cancer (EPGBC), of the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality, and of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, in co-operation with the European Cancer Network (ECN), focused on the “Need for European Guidelines on Breast Care Nursing.”

At the event, EUROPA DONNA, the European Breast Cancer coalition, distributed over 200 copies of the newly published "Short Guide to the EU Guidelines on quality assurance in breast cancer screening and diagnosis". The guidelines were also the focus of their EUROPA DONNA 8th biennial Pan-European Conference held in Amsterdam the 27-28 October 2007.

The European Week Against Cancer, 10-16 October, also took place this month.

Chemicals Health Monitor (CHM) breast cancer activities

As part of the Chemicals Health Monitor project, HEAL and CHEM Trust will be developing a series of resources to promote discussion within the medical and patient community about the potential role of chemicals in breast cancer.

Resources will include:
  Chemicals Health Monitor website an online source of information on chemicals and diseases, including breast cancer.
  Portfolio of papers that highlight how chemical exposures may be implicated in breast cancer, containing a selection of key peer-reviewed scientific papers that present the case for chemical exposures playing a role in some cases of breast cancer.
  Review of the Potential Role of Chemicals in Breast Cancer for Medical Professionals, presenting an overview of the science implicating certain chemicals in breast cancer.
  Briefing for citizens and patient groups on the potential role of environmental factors in breast cancer, summarizing the key information on environmental factors and breast cancer.

If you would like to find out more about CHM breast cancer related activities please contact Hana Kuncova at the Health & Environment Alliance.