October is the month that is widely recognized for the spooky movies, fun costumes, and bags full of candy; however, more and more are beginning to associate it with a more serious topic: Breast Cancer Awareness.

There are more than 200,000 U.S. cases of breast cancer per year–and it is the second leading cause of cancer death in women. However, not only women suffer from breast cancer. About 1 out of every 100 breast cancers diagnosed in the U.S. affect men. In the simplest of terms, breast cancer is a cancer that forms in the cells of the breast. There are also different types of breast cancer: invasive ductal carcinoma, ductal carcinoma in situ, inflammatory breast cancer, and metastatic breast cancer. Invasive ductal carcinoma is the most common form of breast cancer, constituting 80% of all breast cancer diagnoses. Like the other forms of cancer, breast cancer has yet to be cured–not for lack of effort, though.

In 1985, the American Cancer Society and Imperial Chemical Industries partnered up in hosting a week-long breast cancer campaign to bring awareness and to promote prevention of the disease. Then, just like that, it stuck! Breast Cancer Awareness week developed into a 31-day-long cause aptly referred to as Breast Cancer Awareness month.

One of the most notable aspects that represent Breast Cancer Awareness month is the pink ribbon. But, how did this come into play? According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, the pink ribbon was originally a peach color, and it was created by a woman named Charlotte Haley in the early 1990s. Haley started making these ribbons because, at the time, the National Cancer Institute had a budget of $1.8 million, but only 5% of that actually went to cancer prevention. She wanted to “wake up” the legislators by having people wear the ribbons to make the issue more visible. Soon enough, the ribbons became popular–and media outlets wanted to be a part of it. One of those media outlets, Self Magazine, insisted that the ribbons should be a pink color instead of peach, as the color is “comforting and healing.”

October is annually devoted to educating people about breast cancer. Spreading awareness increases breast examinations and the chances of catching breast cancer early on. Educating oneself on breast cancer clearly saves lives–one’s own life or even the life of someone else.