October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and it’s a good time to look at the progress that has been made in preventing and treating this terrible illness.While there is no room for complacency, it is heartening that much has been achieved.In the US, about 200,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year, and about 40,000 will die. So it is still a tragic and often fatal illness. But the death rate has been falling for more than 20 years, which means that this fight is slowly being won.Clearly, the best way to reduce the risk of contracting breast cancer (and it affects men as well) is to keep a healthy weight, to drink less alcohol, exercise more and, for women, to breastfeed their babies. All of those steps are sensible anyway, but preventing is a compelling reason to live a healthy lifestyle.However, even some women who take these steps will contract breast cancer, and all of the evidence shows that early detection is crucial to survival. That means that women over the age of 40 should get mammograms every year, and it is worrying that, according to the National Health Survey, fewer women have had mammograms within the last two years than was the case in 2006.When US statistics show that 98 percent of women have a five-year survival rate when breast cancer is detected early, and the number may be even higher in Bermuda, there is simply no excuse for not getting a mammogram. While some people find it painful or embarrassing, the fact that it can be the difference between life and death is reason enough to take it.There is some good news in terms of treatment. The options are wider now than they were when radiation and often psychologically challenging surgery were often the only choices. And as a result, the chances of survival and a healthy recovery are also better.But none of this means that people should relax. Too many people still die of the disease for anyone to think this is a fight that has been won, even if progress is being made. Much of the credit for that progress should go to the dedicated researchers who have spent their lives trying to find a cure, but organisations like the Susan J Komen Foundation and, locally, the Bermuda Cancer and Health Association, also deserve credit for raising research funds and awareness. The stroke of genius in getting sportsmen and others to wear pink during their events has made an enormous difference, so plenty of credit goes to North Village FC in Bermuda for taking up that cause in recent years.Finally, it is impossible not to admire the courage of breast cancer victims like Renee Carter, who held an event last week and was featured in The Royal Gazette. The relentlessly positive attitude of women like Ms Carter makes an enormous difference. While the medical connection may not be proven, medical experts will tell you that a positive attitude can be the difference between life and death. There may come a time when the breast cancer is cured, but that is still a long way off. In the meantime, more awareness, more early detection and more research are needed. And those working to end other diseases and illnesses need to see what has been done for breast cancer as well; it is truly a model for how to work to end a scourge.