Awareness Sparks Change, Says Dr. Jhaveri on Breast Cancer Month

During Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Dr. Komal Jhaveri, a breast medical oncologist and early drug development specialist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, highlights that awareness should lead to meaningful action.

During an interview with CURE, she explained that October is not just about wearing pink or showing support through ribbons, but about using awareness to promote early detection, advance research, support survivors and ensure equitable care. Jhaveri noted that awareness sparks change, but community action is what truly helps improve outcomes for patients.

Transcript:

October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month — from your perspective, what is the importance of recognizing Breast Cancer Awareness Month and other initiatives like it?

I think we all know October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. And why do we think about October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month? Or what is so important about that? It’s not just about wearing pink, like I am, or just supporting pink, buying pink or showing pink ribbons. I think it’s really about bringing our thoughtfulness and awareness into action. It’s not just making people aware — it’s utilizing ways to put that awareness into action, because we want to work on promoting early detection.

We want to work on promoting innovation and science. We want to work on fueling research and supporting our patients overall, as well as survivors, with compassion and a focus on survivorship issues. And last but not least, we also want to promote equitable care. So I do think awareness is where change begins, but action is how we actually save lives. We really need to come together as a community, and October is a way for us to do that — to think about these goals together as a community so that we can act on them and help our patients.

Transcript has been edited for clarity and conciseness.

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