One out of every seven women will be touched by it at some point in their life.

It is breast cancer, a battle that more than 2 million women fight each year, and can win through awareness, prevention and early detection.

This October marks the 20th annual National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, when cancer organizations work to help women fight the war by promoting education on breast cancer detection, diagnosis and treatment.

In observance of this month, members of the community are holding several awareness programs, both on- and off-campus, to spread the message: early detection can save lives.

Theresa Ledney, cancer control specialist for the American Cancer Society (ACS), said many student groups on campus will contact the ACS in October for tips to help promote awareness.

"We have breast cancer volunteers that will come speak to these student groups," Ledney said.

"The volunteers advocate for increased breast cancer awareness, but will also give a human face to breast cancer by sharing their own stories of survival."

HealthWorks coordinator Rachel Beberman said the peer education outreach program is sponsoring a breast cancer awareness workshop from 4 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday in the West Halls study lounge.

The workshop will provide visual aids demonstrating the proper way to perform a breast self-examination (BSE) and will also give out packets of 12 BSE stickers to put on calendars, a reminder to perform a BSE each month.

Susan Kennedy, University Health Services associate director, said the program hoped to "not only spread awareness and educate women on the importance of BSEs, but to encourage women to get to know their bodies better so they can know if there is a change and something is wrong."

Tomorrow also marks National Mammography Day, which has been celebrated every third Friday in October since first instituted by former President Bill Clinton in 1993. The day encourages women to schedule yearly mammograms and offers free mammograms for any women who cannot afford them.

The Mount Nittany Medical Center is doing its part to take place in awareness month. In conjunction with the Centre County Breast Cancer Coalition, the medical center offers vouchers for free mammograms.

"We want to make sure there is no woman who will have to say she can't have a mammogram because she can't afford it," Breast Cancer Center Clinical Coordinator Claudia Shaw said.

Aileen Schulman, Penn State Cancer Institute administrative director, is heading a cancer-counseling forum from 7 to 9 tonight at the medical center.

"Participants can learn about genetic predispositions to various cancers, other risk factors, and the verity behind common myths," Schulman said.

On-campus efforts to spread awareness are also taking place throughout October.

Service fraternity Lambda Legacy member Li Guo (senior-communication) said she was dedicated to spreading awareness since her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer a few years ago.

"Every 12 minutes, another person dies from breast cancer," Guo said. "It affects so many people, and it is so important that young women become aware of their bodies and the threat breast cancer can pose."

Members of Lambda Legacy have had a table in the HUB-Robeson Center since Tuesday, accepting donations for pink roses and pink pins to spread awareness about breast cancer.

All proceeds will go directly to the Breast Cancer Alliance, a national organization that funds innovative breast cancer research.