October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

The National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) organization is a partnership of national public service organizations, professional medical associations, and government agencies working together to promote breast cancer awareness, share information on the disease, and provide greater access to screening services.

Breast cancer in the U.S. is the most common cancer in women, no matter your race or ethnicity. More than 220,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in the U.S. this year, and more than 40,000 women will die from breast cancer. There are over 2.5 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S.

LifeScience Moment: Johnson & Johnson, the parent company of McNeil, issued a nationwide recall of Tylenol products"

On Oct. 5, 1982, Johnson & Johnson, the parent company of McNeil, issued a nationwide recall of Tylenol products. More than 30 million bottles were in circulation with a retail value of over US$100 million.

The Chicago Tylenol murders resulted in seven deaths from poisoned Extra-Strength Tylenol pain-relief capsules that had been laced with potassium cyanide.

The incident led to reforms in the packaging of over-the-counter substances and to federal anti-tampering laws. The case remains unsolved and no suspects have been charged. A $100,000 reward has been offered by Johnson & Johnson for the capture and conviction of the "Tylenol Killer."

It's a Small World
	Rug fibers & dust particles, Photo credit: Andrea Ferro, Clarkson University

Science Quote

"Almost everything that distinguishes the modern world from earlier centuries is attibutable to science, which achieved its most spectacular triumphs in the seventeenth century."