Breast Cancer Network offers Support for World Cancer Day

"Cancer," it's the diagnosis that no one wants to hear. How would you feel if you received news that you or a loved one had it? The disease does not discriminate with age or gender. Furthermore, there are over 100 types of cancers. The unfortunate reality is that there are 1,660,290 of new cancer cases, according to a report through the National Cancer Institute.

In the U.S. breast cancer has become prevalent. 232,340 new cases of females diagnosed with breast cancer, and 2,240 of men diagnosed in 2013, in the U.S. (National Cancer Institute).

Cancer can oftentimes feel isolating, so it's important to have a support team because you don't have to go through the disease alone. Today is World Cancer Day, and there are communities where you can gain support and share your story.

My BC Team is a free social network that offers support to women who have ever received a diagnosis of breast cancer. The website is not a medical site; however, there are forums with questions and answers, and it offers relief for others to know that they're not alone.

"There are certain questions, where they've talked to their doctor, and they're looking for perspective and validation from other people who have gone through it. We're not a medical site, but I think that it's the emotional and psychological support that is offered," Mary Ray, founder of My Health Teams, said in a phone interview.

There are things that can decrease the risk of developing cancer. According to the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR), people often think that there is nothing that can be done about cancer, but that's a myth. Lifestyle plays an important role in how the cancers progress. It's estimated that 1/3 of common cancers can be prevented by eating well and through physical exercise (AICR).

"Anybody who knows someone who has ever been diagnosed, I hope they share My BC Team with others because it's [a free service] and others are connecting with each other," stated Mary Ray.

Whether you are in remission, recently diagnosed, or have a loved one with cancer, World Cancer Day is about support. You are not alone because there is a community of people who care.