October was Breast Cancer Awareness Month. pink ribbons decorate the workplace, classrooms, and even the uniforms of professional athletes. Almost all people in the United States know someone who is diagnosed with breast cancer. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) "Breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer death among Hispanic women, and the second most common cause of cancer death among white, black, Asian or Pacific Islanders and American Indian / Alaska Native women. In the United States in 2006 (the latest year for which statistics are available), 191,410 women were told they had breast cancer and 40,820 women died of it. "One of the first steps in the early detection of breast cancer is to perform monthly breast exams himself. Research has shown that people who give themselves breast exams are more likely to find abnormalities in comparison with health professionals, which can not be as familiar with normal variations in the tissue of a patient's breast. This method is ideal for early detection, but there are better laboratory tests can help show increased risks before abnormal breast changes are felt during an examination.