September is almost here, and with it comes an important opportunity to talk about cancer.
While many people immediately associate cancer awareness with the familiar pink of October, September brings attention to several cancers that affect children, women, men and families across our communities.
September includes Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, Prostate Cancer Awareness Month and Blood Cancer Awareness Month.
Different cancers. Different ribbon colors. Different journeys.
But one common goal:
More awareness. Better information. Earlier action. Stronger support.
At SpydaStrong, those are conversations we believe are worth having.
Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
Gold represents Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
Few words can change a family’s world as quickly as hearing that a child has cancer. Beyond the medical challenges facing the child, a diagnosis can transform everyday life for an entire family.
Parents become caregivers. Work schedules change. Siblings adjust. Hospital visits become part of the family calendar. Transportation, meals, childcare and finances can suddenly become much more complicated.
It is an important reminder of something we strongly believe at SpydaStrong:
Cancer doesn’t happen to just one person. It affects an entire circle of people who love them.
Throughout September, Childhood Cancer Awareness Month recognizes the children fighting cancer, honors those we have lost and celebrates survivors while also highlighting the families and caregivers walking alongside them.
Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
September is also Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, represented by teal.
One of the challenges surrounding ovarian cancer is that its symptoms can sometimes be mistaken for more common conditions.
Persistent bloating, pelvic or abdominal discomfort, difficulty eating or feeling full quickly, and changes in urinary habits are among symptoms that deserve a conversation with a healthcare provider—particularly when they are new, persistent or unusual for you.
Awareness doesn’t mean diagnosing ourselves.
It means knowing our bodies well enough to recognize when something has changed and being willing to ask questions.
That conversation matters.
Prostate Cancer Awareness Month
Light blue represents Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.
Prostate cancer is among the most commonly diagnosed cancers in American men. Yet conversations about screening, symptoms and men’s health can still be uncomfortable in many families and communities.
We want to help change that.
Men routinely talk about sports, cars, work, politics and everything else imaginable.
We should be able to talk about our health too.
September is a good opportunity for men to learn about prostate cancer risk factors and speak with their healthcare providers about whether and when screening is appropriate for them.
Sometimes awareness begins with a very simple sentence:
“Doc, should I be getting checked?”
Blood Cancer Awareness Month
September also recognizes Blood Cancer Awareness Month, bringing attention to diseases including leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma.
Unlike cancers that form solid tumors, blood cancers affect the production and function of blood cells.
Research continues to transform how some blood cancers are treated. Advances including targeted therapies, immunotherapies and CAR T-cell therapy have created new treatment possibilities for some patients.
There is still tremendous work ahead.
But progress matters.
And part of cancer awareness should also be recognizing the researchers, physicians, nurses, clinical-trial participants and advocates helping move cancer treatment forward.
Awareness Is Only the Beginning
You’ll hear the word awareness frequently throughout September.
But awareness shouldn’t simply mean changing a profile picture, wearing a ribbon or sharing a graphic.
Those things can help start conversations.
The bigger question is:
What happens after we become aware?
Maybe you schedule the doctor’s appointment you’ve been postponing.
Maybe you ask about a screening.
Maybe you check on a friend going through treatment.
Maybe you give a caregiver an afternoon off.
Maybe you offer someone a ride to an appointment.
Maybe you learn about a cancer you knew almost nothing about yesterday.
Those actions matter.
What SpydaStrong Will Be Talking About This September
Throughout September, SpydaStrong will use our platform to go deeper.
We’ll share information about the cancers recognized this month, highlight developments in cancer research and technology, discuss issues facing patients and caregivers, and share practical resources that can help families navigating cancer.
We’ll also talk about something equally important:
The people behind the diagnosis.
Because a cancer patient is still a mother, father, brother, sister, friend, coworker, neighbor—or, in our case, a DJ who could light up a room.
SpydaStrong exists because of Emerson “Spyda the DJ” Gibson and the impact his cancer journey had on everyone who loved him.
His story continues to remind us that behind every statistic is a person.
And surrounding that person is often an entire community trying to figure out how to help.
This September, we invite you to learn something.
Share something.
Ask a question.
Schedule an appointment you’ve been putting off.
Check on someone going through treatment.
And follow SpydaStrong as we continue exploring awareness, innovation, support and real stories from the cancer community.
Because awareness is important.
What we do with that awareness is even more powerful.
SpydaStrong Foundation — Continuing Spyda’s legacy by supporting cancer patients, caregivers and families.