Every year, breast cancer kills over 40,000 people in the United States. A University chapter of the national movement to greatly reduce the mortality rate of breast cancer kicked off the 18th annual National Breast Cancer Awareness Month yesterday.

In order to help initiate the month's activities, Lisa Newman, director of the Breast Care Center at the University Hospital, held an open informational session.

The session addressed issues ranging from risk factors to diagnosing the cancer at different ages.

"The best chances for a full recovery come from detecting breast cancer in an early stage," Newman said.

Although the risk for a woman in her 20s to get cancer is one in 2,500, awareness at the college level is still important, Newman said. She recommended that women administer a monthly breast self-exam one week after her menstrual period.

University Students Against Cancer will be holding an array of events throughout October.

On Oct. 6, members of USAC will be on the Diag passing out pink ribbons and educational pamphlets. Later that day, Deanna Beyer, a breast cancer survivor, will come to the University to speak at the USAC mass meeting.

"My goal for the month is to help spread the facts about breast cancer to more students and make them more aware of what they can do to prevent it or at least detect it at its earliest stages," said Carol Weng, chairwoman of Breast Cancer Awareness in USAC. "Hopefully, we will see everyone wearing a pink ribbon to support the fight against breast cancer," Weng, an LSA junior added.

The American Cancer Society, along with USAC, is also hosting Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, a 3.5-mile walk on Oct. 11 that begins and ends at the Michigan Stadium.

0The fundraiser will raise money that will support research, education, advocacy and patient services.

"Some of the highest priorities in research is to identify the cells that cause cancer to spread and find new innovative chemotherapy methods," Newman said.

"We wanted to do something that involved people in the community to go out and get involved," local ACS volunteer Christina Morrow said. "This will remind people to get the mammogram that might save their lives and will raise money for research."

The Alpha Kappa Delta Phi sorority will be holding their fifth annual charity ball on Oct. 4th. The proceeds will go to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

The Sigma Lambda Gamma and Delta Sigma Theta sororities sponsored yesterday's informational session.

"We thought it was very important to commemorate the month, so we put out a program that was educational and entertaining," said Erin Hendrix, LSA senior and president of Delta Sigma Theta. "We are very committed to serving the community."