I was probably nine when I first learned about it. I didn’t really understand what was… I was probably nine when I first learned about it. I didn’t really understand what was happening. All I knew was she didn’t feel well. The kind-hearted woman who always greeted me with a warm smile looked empty. She began losing her long, beautiful, brunette hair and began looking feeble. At each family event her complexion began to fade. She began looking pale and walked with a cane. Her body gave way, but not her spirit.

My cousin Camillia died of breast cancer in her earlier forties.

Breast cancer is a malignant – cancerous – tumor that starts from cells of the breast. While the disease occurs predominantly in women, men are susceptible, too.

According to www.cancer.org, the American Cancer Society Web site, breast cancer is the second-most common cancer among women, other than skin cancer. It is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, after lung cancer.

At the time of my cousin’s death, I was nine and didn’t really understand what cancer was. I remember thinking, why did she leave so quickly? Where did the doctors go wrong?

I remember my mother being sad, being that she and Camillia grew up together.

Camillia was like her second sister. To me she was like an aunt instead of a cousin. She would always smile when I told her stories or entertained my family with my acting skills. She was a sweet, soft-spoken woman who had been all over Europe, and I wanted to be just like her. There were so many questions that I wanted to ask her, but unfortunately she left me too soon. But I find comfort in the fact that I am not alone.

About 211,240 women in the United States will be found to have invasive breast cancer in 2005. About 40,410 women will die from the disease this year. Right now there are slightly more than two million women living in the United States who have been treated for breast cancer. The chance of a woman having invasive breast cancer some time during her life is about 1 in 8. The chance of dying from breast cancer is about 1 in 33.

Thankfully, breast cancer death rates are going down, because of earlier detection and improved treatment. Today, prevention is possible more than ever. It is important to be aware of your body and its functions, which is why monthly breast examinations are important.

Making changes to your lifestyle can also help prevent cancer. According to Essence magazine, “A plant-based diet may also decrease your breast-cancer risk. Fresh fruits and vegetables contain phytochemicals – Essence calls them natural medicines – that perform specific anticancer functions. For example, broccoli, collard greens and other cruciferous veggies are a source of indole-3-carbinol, a phytochemical that inhibits breast-cancer growth.”

Also turmeric, a potent antioxidant found in curry, can prevent cell damage that may lead to cancer. This is great for me, since I love curry chicken and rice.

Lifestyle changes should also be incorporated with your daily exercise habits. This means putting down the remote and heading to the gym. Even moderate exercise, such as walking three to five hours a week can cut away at the risk of breast cancer.

It is important that women watch their weight – not to appeal to men’s sexual desire or thoughts – but to reduce health problems. A women’s body fat should not exceed 28 percent, which means that we as women should watch our body mass index – a measure based on height and weight.

One last important step to an improved lifestyle is reducing the amount of alcohol intake. Alcohol can increase the amount of estrogen the body produces which results in the increase of a hormone called prolactin, which speeds up cell division in the breast.

I know that it’s not easy to put things aside, even in health matters, but having to watch breast cancer eat away at a relative was hard and I wish that on no one. So while awareness is important, action is vital when it comes to breast cancer.

I wear my “Sharing the Promise” bracelet proudly, because I recognize the incredible progress that has been made in the last 15 years toward a cure. Through the Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, millions of people are “Sharing the Promise” that Nancy Goodman Brinker made to her sister Susan. At the age of 36, Susan asked her sister to do everything possible to bring an end to breast cancer. By establishing the foundation in 1982, Nancy kept her promise. I just hope that we all learn how to share the promise.

Natasha will be at the Pete and India Garden every night this week. To join, e-mail her at [email protected].