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The Major Breast Cancer Headlines - October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and this year there has been an abundance of eye opening breast cancer news about treatment, racial health disparities and celebrity health. Read more about the 2013 breast cancer headlines you need to know. — Kellee Terrell(Photo: American Cancer Society)

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Women of Color More Likely to Underestimate Breast Cancer Risk - A recent survey found that most American women don’t understand their risk for breast cancer. Only 9.4 percent of women accurately accessed their risk; 46 overestimated their risk and 46 underestimated their risk. Black, Asian and Hispanic women were more likely to underestimate their risk, says Health Day. Learn more about breast cancer risk factors at cancer.org. (Photo: Marvin Joseph /The Washington Post via Getty Images)

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FDA Approves First Pre-Surgical Breast Cancer Treatment - Last month, the first-ever FDA approved pre-surgical breast cancer treatment became available on the market. Perjeta, which was created by Roche Pharmaceuticals, is for women who are in the early stages of breast cancer but are at risk of having that cancer spread to other organs in their body, ABC.com writes. (Photo: Getty Images)

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Breast Cancer Increasing Among African-Americans - Breast cancer rates among Black women have gone up slightly, an October 2013 study found. While this boost was small, it catapulted our rates almost as high as white women, who have the highest breast cancer rates in the U.S., writes Red Orbit. The study also confirms that Black women are more likely to die from breast cancer and be diagnosed with aggressive forms of the disease. (Photo: Will & Deni McIntire/ Getty Images)

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BRCA1 and BRCA2 More Common Among Black Women - Researchers from University of Chicago and the University of Washington found that 22 percent of African-American women were carries for BRCA1 or BRCA2, flawed genes that put women more at-risk for cancer. They believe that these genetic mutations may be the reason why Black women are more likely to be diagnosed with more aggressive forms of the disease such as triple-negative breast cancer. (Photo: SCIENCE SOURCE/ Getty Images)

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Angelina Jolie Double Mastectomy Sparks National Debate - This past May, Oscar-winning actress Angelina Jolie admitted to the New York Times that she had both of her breasts removed because she was genetically predisposed to breast and ovarian cancer because of the gene flaw, BRCA1. Instantly, her admission caused a national debate, with some calling her a hero and others criticizing her for promoting an unnecessary surgery. (Photo:Amel Emric/ AP Photo)

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Vanessa Bell Calloway Came Out As a Breast Cancer Survivor - This past May, actress Vanessa Bell Calloway, from the original Broadway Dreamgirls and Showtime’s Shameless, opened up about being diagnosed with breast cancer four years ago. Calloway, 55, was “diligent” in getting her pap smears and mammograms and admits that she was “stunned” with her diagnosis. (Photo: Maury Phillips/ Getty Images For A+E Networks)

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Losing Weight Reduces Your Risk of Breast Cancer - A new study found that obese women are four times more likely to develop inflammatory breast cancer, USA Today reported. Past research from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center suggests that 25 percent of all breast cancer cases in women could be avoided with weight loss and regular exercise.(Photo: Birmingham News /Landov)

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Black Women More Likely to Die From Breast Cancer - This past April, a study found that regardless of the type of breast cancer one had, found that Black women were twice as likely to die from the disease compared to white women. Researchers from Kaiser Permanete also found that African-American women were more likely to be diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer that was harder to treat, reported HealthDay News. (Photo: Chris Hondros/ Getty Images)

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Black Breast Cancer Survivors Have Higher Risk of Heart Failure - This March, a study found that African-American breast cancer survivors are more likely to develop heart failure than white survivors. While certain forms of chemotherapy increase the chance of heart failure, it’s believed that Black women’s increased risk comes from an already disproportionate history of heart disease, diabetes and low vitamin D levels, says Red Orbit.(Photo: Getty Images)

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School-Age Drinking Increases Breast Cancer Risk​​​​​​ - Scientists found that hard drinking in a woman’s youth is linked with breast cancer. A new study suggests that every beer, glass of wine and shot you drink raises a woman’s risk of non-cancerous lesions — abnormalities in the breast tissue — by 15 percent. These types of lesions can increase your risk of developing breast cancer by 500 percent, writes Science Daily.(Photo: Dan Kitwood/ Getty Images)

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Black Women With Breast Cancer Are More At Risk for PTSD - Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among women with breast cancer isn’t rare, but a March study suggests that Black and Asian women have a 50 percent higher chance of being diagnosed with the psychiatric disorder. While the study’s authors admit aren’t sure why, they hope that understanding how women cope could help improve African-American women’s survival rates, reported WebMD.  (Photo: Chicago Tribune/MCT /Landov)

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3D Mammograms May Detect Breast Cancer Better - A study published this past January found that 3D mammograms “significantly increase detection of invasive breast cancers by 40 percent and reduced false-positive rates by 15 percent. Learn more about mammograms here. (Photo: Jupiterimages/ Getty Images)

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