80 Quotes for Breast Cancer Awareness Month That Inspire and Educate
From Halloween to fall festivals, football tailgates to roasting marshmallows over the backyard fire pit, October is filled to the brim with events we love. But perhaps none is as important, or meaningful, as the observance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Since the American Cancer Society helped create the campaign back in 1985, October has marked the month we focus on raising awareness of the disease, which is the second-most commonly diagnosed cancer in women (behind skin cancer).
One way to support those battling the illness and increase attention around it is to pass along one or more of the following Breast Cancer Awareness quotes. Many of these thought-provoking, encouraging and deeply moving words of wisdom are from famous women, like Sheryl Crow and Robin Roberts, who have faced their own breast cancer journeys and aim to empower those on the same path. Some quotes are from less well-known folks, or people who have watched loved ones fight breast cancer. All should help further understanding of the disease amongst those who don't have it, while providing comfort and inspiration to those that do.
According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, 1 in 8 U.S. women will develop breast cancer at some time during their lifetime. Anyone can get it, including young women and even men, but it predominately strikes middle-aged and older women. With an estimated 300,000-plus Americans facing an invasive breast cancer diagnosis this year alone, it's crucial that we all do our part to help get the word out about it. Sharing Breast Cancer Awareness quotes via social media, text, email or even in person is a great place to start.
Want to do more to help a family member, friend, co-worker or neighbor with breast cancer? Consider lending a hand by cleaning their house, tidying up their yard, going grocery shopping for them, or whipping up a nutritious, homemade soup they can freeze until needed.
“Cancer survivors are blessed with two lives. There is your life before cancer, and your life after. I am here to tell you your second life is going to be so much better than the first.” —Hoda Kotb
"Once I overcame breast cancer, I wasn’t afraid of anything anymore." —Melissa Etheridge
"But it is possible to take control and tackle head-on any health issue. You can seek advice, learn about the options and make choices that are right for you. Knowledge is power." —Angelina Jolie
"You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have." —Cayla Mills
"I'm stronger than I thought I was. My favorite phrase has been, 'This too shall pass.' I now understand it really well." —Robin Roberts
"More than 10 million Americans are living with cancer, and they demonstrate the ever-increasing possibility of living beyond cancer." —Sheryl Crow
"I found this breast cancer community to be such an amazing, powerful, compassionate alliance." —Joan Lunden
"I'm here today because I refused to be unhappy. I took a chance." —Wanda Sykes
"I am a 36-year-old person with breast cancer, and not many people know that that happens to women my age or women in their 20s. This is my opportunity now to go out and fight as hard as I can for early detection." —Christina Applegate
"I think after overcoming breast cancer, you sort of become fearless and somehow going up to your boss to talk about a possible promotion doesn’t seem like such a daunting task anymore.” —Hoda Kotb
"Cancer is really hard to go through and it's really hard to watch someone you love go through, and I know because I have been on both sides of the equation." —Cynthia Nixon
"Having cancer does make you try to be better at everything you do and enjoy every moment. It changes you forever. But it can be a positive change." —Jaclyn Smith
"When you get diagnosed with cancer, there’s such a sense of loneliness, but what we need to know as people going through this is that you’re not alone." —Christina Applegate
"Fight each round, take it on the chin. And never never never ever give in." —Olivia Newton-John
"I can’t stress enough how important it is to get screened and checked for all cancers — and to do self breast-exams." —Robin Roberts
"Don’t let breast cancer take away the motivation to achieve your dreams." —Diana Cohen
"The only person who can save you is you." —Sheryl Crow
“I personally know women who are breast cancer survivors and will do all I can to support the cause. Besides, I love boobies!” —Jane Wiedlin
"I always look on the positive side and in a weird way just thought of it as another adventure. Not for a single second did it go through my head that I was going to die." —Caroline Monk
"I found my lump in a self-exam! Because I was familiar with my body and the lumps, I knew this one felt different. It was in a different place on my breast, and it was hard. If I hadn’t been doing self-exams, I wouldn’t have known that." —Robin Roberts
"If you have any doubt, go back again...because someone is in a white coat and using big medical instruments doesn't necessarily mean they're right." —Kylie Minogue
"At the end of the day, none of it matters but your own joy, your own spiritual journey that you go on, God, your loved ones, your friends, your animals. These are the things you've got to cherish and love and embrace." —Christina Applegate
"The old cliché about laughter being the best medicine turns out to be true. When I was getting my hideous chemotherapy, I'd cram a bunch of friends and family into the tiny treatment room with me...We really did have some great laughs." —Julia Louis-Dreyfus
"Cancer is messy and scary. You throw everything at it, but don’t forget to throw love at it. It turns out that might be the best weapon of all." —Regina Brett
"I think our scars remind us of what we have overcome. They are part of what makes each of us unique. That diversity is one of the things that is most beautiful about human existence." —Angelina Jolie
"My will, my faith, and my body have been challenged. But make no mistake, my heart is strong and my resolve to fight will never be broken." —Anastacia
"Ultimately, they're just breasts, right? I mean, I love them, they're mine, they're beautiful, but in the grand scheme of things, I would rather be alive, and I would rather grow old with my husband." —Shannen Doherty
"Fear does its best work in isolation. Courage wears the face of your ability to love and be loved. Breakthrough happens when you discover your self-worth had nothing to do with what you looked like." —Lynn Jones
"If you can't make it better, you can laugh at it." —Erma Bombeck
"It drove home, personally, the value of early detection and education and intervention." —Janet Napolitano
"A woman is like a tea bag; you cannot tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water." —Nancy Reagan
"When you notice that you’re having negative thoughts about how all of this is going to pan out, you need to remind yourself that you are not a very good fortune teller." —Donna W. Hill
"It's about focusing on the fight and not the fright." —Robin Roberts
"Every woman needs to know the facts. And the fact is, when it comes to breast cancer, every woman is at risk." —Debbie Wasserman Schultz
"Have your own experience and trust your intuition. A million people will tell you what you should and shouldn’t be doing, but you know yourself and your body best — do what you think is right." —Christina Steinorth-Powell
"People go through challenging moments of losing people and of having their life threatened from illness and real grief. But they get through it. And that’s the testament to the human spirit and it’s — we are fragile, but we also are divine." —Sheryl Crow
"Having had cancer, one important thing to know is you're still the same person at the end. You're stripped down to near zero. But most people come out the other end feeling more like themselves than ever before." —Kylie Minogue
"One thing that I would say to someone who's just been diagnosed with breast cancer is to still try to find the moments in your day that give you joy and give you happiness, because there's still time to laugh, and life is going on." —Rita Wilson
"You are not your scars." —Malisa Morris
"I am a better parent. I yell less and cuddle more with my daughters. I am a better wife. I yell less and choose my words more carefully, remembering we are what we say...I'm not saying cancer is a gift — because if it was I would gladly return it — but now that the box has been opened, so have my eyes and my heart." —Amy Robach
"'Everything will be OK in the end. If it's not OK, it's not the end.' Ever since I was diagnosed with breast cancer this quote has been my mantra. These words have been my anthem, my inspiration, my comfort and my prayer." —Giuliana Rancic
"I've always thought of myself as being a warrior. When you actually have a battle, it's better than when you don't know who to fight." —Carly Simon
"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. So the only thing to really be afraid of is if you don't go get your mammograms." —Cynthia Nixon
"Sometimes little acts of self-care and self-understanding make all the difference. Cry, wallow, and then hop in the shower or take a warm bath." —Meredith Goldberg
"Every day my life surprises me, just like my cancer diagnosis surprised me. But you roll with it. That’s our job as humans." —Edie Falco
"Cancer and its aftermath changed my outlook in a profound way. I've become less of a hermit, and I travel more." —Kathy Bates
"With over 3 million women battling breast cancer today, everywhere you turn there is a mother, daughter, sister, or friend who has been affected by breast cancer." —Betsey Johnson
"Life's better now. I wouldn't do it all over again, though. It's funny how life works. Maybe it was meant to happen for many reasons, because my life in many ways richer." —Giuliana Rancic
"I laughed more in the hospital than I ever have in my life, making fun of all the weird things that were happening to me. My friends would walk in with this sad look, and I would throw something at them and say, ‘Come on! This isn’t the end of the world!'" —Christina Applegate
"Breast cancer changes you, and the change can be beautiful." —Jane Cook
"Now I have a third must-do on my list of things to do with cancer, and it's this: follow your gut, ask questions, don't be complacent." —Cynthia Nixon
"In the war against breast cancer, we have the ability to arm ourselves with knowledge and education is a powerful tool. By taking action and doing something positive, fear is replaced with hope." —Diahann Carroll
"While you may not have chosen to have breast cancer, you can choose how you want to be treated and how you will treat yourself moving forward. This is your wake-up call to take better care of yourself through diet, exercise, stress management and a better attitude and effort toward a healthier lifestyle." —Melanie Young
"If you have a friend or family member with breast cancer, try not to look at her with 'sad eyes.' Treat her like you always did; just show a little extra love." —Hoda Kotb
"I think cancer is a hard battle to fight alone or with another person at your side, but I will say having someone to pick you up when you fall, stand by your side through every appointment and delivery of bad news, is priceless." —Jenna Morasca
"Breast cancer is scary and no one understands that like another woman who has gone through it too." —Mindy Sterling
"Keep your sunny side up, keep yourself beautiful, and indulge yourself." —Betsey Johnson
"There can be life after breast cancer. The prerequisite is early detection." —Ann Jillian
"Breast cancer is not just a disease that strikes at women. It strikes at the very heart of who we are as women: how others perceive us, how we perceive ourselves, how we live, work and raise our families — or whether we do these things at all." —Debbie Wasserman Schultz
"Time is shortening. But every day that I challenge this cancer and survive is a victory for me." —Ingrid Bergman
"I do feel different, but I can’t quite articulate how. I’ve come out the other side of this, and I’m still not exactly sure how to define the difference other than to say I’m grateful, of course, but it’s more than that. It’s bigger." —Julia Louis-Dreyfus
"It's a life-changing thing to be in a position of needing help and being so lucky as to get it." —Maura Tierney
"I know how to put on my battle gear and I'm a fighter." —Suzanne Somers
"Surviving cancer treatment is like coming home from war." —Saskia Lightstar
"When it comes to breast cancer you’re not alone, and scary though it is, there's a network of amazing women to help you through it." —Judy Blume
"Be patient and don’t give up. Trust me when I say you will come out changed and stronger on the other side of this." —Brenda Jones
"Cancer no longer rules my life — I’m getting back to myself. I’m healed as much as anybody who’s gone through this can be, and I will continue to support and fight alongside my sisters. Once you’re in this family, you’re in for life.” —Sandra Lee
"I’m going to have cute boobs 'til I’m 90, so there’s that. I’ll have the best boobs in the nursing home. I’ll be the envy of all the ladies around the bridge table." —Christina Applegate
"Seeds of faith are always within us; sometimes it takes a crisis to nourish and encourage their growth." —Susan Taylor
"The cancer served a real purpose, making me a little bit more conscious of time." — Gloria Steinem
"I plan on...encouraging so many women who are out there, who are still in the thick of it, who have yet to fight this fight, that you can do it, you can get through this one step at a time.” —Amy Robach
"This turned out to be a very good thing. I stopped. I looked at my life, I looked at my body and spirit. I got a new perspective. That's brought me incredible clarity and a lot of peace." —Melissa Etheridge
"It was a newfound level of support when I started to speak with other survivors... Knowing that they got to the other side, I knew that I too could get there.” —Samantha Harris
"When I was going through my cancer treatment, I learned that you can never ask a stupid question. I asked every single question that came to my mind, and I believe that helped to calm my own anxiety." —Maura Tierney
"A couple years ago I got breast cancer, and that was a good test, because I always said I'm not afraid of dying. And I wasn't. I mean, I felt, God, I've just joined a family of millions of women who have gone through this. And how interesting. What a journey this is going to be." —Jane Fonda
"Joy shouldn’t go away because you have cancer." —Mandi Hudson
"Cancer is a beast that changes one. For me, it changed me in a lot of beautiful ways." —Shannen Doherty
"My scars? I barely see them. I feel whole; I really do. Because every day, I get to say, 'There’s no cancer.' I’m healthy, and that’s beautiful.” —Wanda Sykes
"It's very important to keep your mind busy with positive events and activities and the like. The most important truth? You start looking at every day in a more profound way." —Diahann Carroll
"My diagnosis flung me into despair until it hit me: I’m alive." —Dana Dinerman
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