It’s October again, which means Halloween, pumpkin-flavored everything and Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

In recent years, Breast Cancer Awareness Month has become a widespread movement, being easily identified by the pink ribbon. The goal of this campaign is to raise awareness and inform people about its causes, treatments and methods of prevention. This campaign, spearheaded by the Susan G. Komen Foundation, is also motivated to find the cure.

Breast cancer, like other types of cancer, attacks the body aggressively, which is why many are taking an aggressive stance towards ending the disease. To show support, the NFL incorporates pink into teams’ uniforms and football fields. The White House has been illuminated pink in honor of the movement. Many businesses sell pink items and give part of the proceeds to fund the cancer research.

Although it is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, it is still a great time to raise awareness for other forms of cancer.

According to the World Health Organization, there are over a hundred different types of cancer. The disease is universal, and it touches many lives in some way.

White Station physics teacher Maridee Cornell has personally experienced the effects of cancer as her mother was diagnosed with lung cancer. Both of their lives were impacted by this diagnosis.

“I was very sad. I knew my time with my mother was limited,” Cornell said. “She went through two different types of chemotherapy and radiation. She lost her hair, she couldn’t eat, and she lost all of her energy.”

If you know someone that has cancer or you just want to support a cause, there are several ways to participate in Memphis. There’s the Annual Teal for a Cure Walk/ Run 5k for ovarian cancer, Komen Race for the Cure for breast cancer and St. Jude Memphis Marathons for childhood cancers. You can also purchase products from businesses that give proceeds to fund cancer research.

Wearing the different-colored ribbons is also a way to show support: white for lung, pink for breast, orange for leukemia and kidney, yellow for bone, green for liver, teal for ovarian and cervical, light blue for prostate, blue for colon and many more that represent different forms. To promote awareness for all types of cancer, you can wear lavender, which is recognized as the universal cancer color.

As one, we can tie the colors of cancer together in unity and take a stand to fight against them all.