Article written by Stephen Stefani, Oncologist at the Mother of God Cancer Hospital, Porto Alegre - RS, published on 10/10/2016 by the online newspaper ZH Opinion. October already has its color. Pink has occupied spaces and reminded of the importance of breast cancer. The growing statistics corroborate the clear perception that almost all of us are touched by cancer, in family, friends, or with ourselves. And it is estimated that, this year, nearly 60,000 women will receive the news that they have cancer. Possibly they will undergo surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, immunotherapy, or some combination of treatment. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that the incidence can be reduced by 30 {46cf1a6c7461ff493d31bdca70d45967bd1ce7048f85e123712b94daa5b61391} avoiding risk factors such as obesity, excessive alcohol use and smoking. Engagement in awareness campaigns has grown, but it is still much richer in social networks and other media than in practical measures. Many women over 40 have not yet had their mammogram, because they make the mistake of thinking that having no symptoms or family history provides sufficient protection. Access to treatments in the public system is lengthy and incomplete. The prices of new drugs are almost unfeasible for the available budget. The reality may not be so rosy, therefore. But we're moving forward. Toxic treatments are being much better tolerated and diseases that were previously incurable are being cured. Scientific research is closer to everyone and talking about the disease is no longer so scary, but we need practical measures. Fundraising initiatives for research such as the Cura Project (www.projectocura.org), which allows tax-deductible donations, offer hope of seeing a less devastating future. People are surviving and fighting so that their neighbors also have access to these advances, in a current that shows that human beings are much better than we often think.