The Avon Walk for Breast Cancer is an annual noncompetitive series produced by the Avon Foundation (a 501(c)(3) public charity,) which offers women and men of all fitness levels a choice of walking a marathon (26.2 miles) or a marathon and a half (39.3 miles) over a weekend to benefit the Avon Foundation Breast Cancer Crusade. An all-volunteer crew provides support every step of the way. Since the launch of the Avon Walk in 2003, more than $200 million has been raised through the event series thanks to the dedication of 75,000 participating women and men.

All participants are required to raise a minimum of $1800 for the cause and are aided by associates in the Avon Walk office located in their respective city. Participants may also create teams which is a great way to train and fundraise.

The walk currently takes place in nine cities throughout the United States. These cities are Houston [http://walk.avonfoundation.org/site/PageServer?pagename=hous_home_2k8],

Washington D.C.[http://walk.avonfoundation.org/site/PageServer?pagename=wadc_home_2k8],

Boston [http://walk.avonfoundation.org/site/PageServer?pagename=bost_home_2k8],

Chicago [http://walk.avonfoundation.org/site/PageServer?pagename=chic_home_2k8],

Rocky Mountains [http://walk.avonfoundation.org/site/PageServer?pagename=denv_home_2k8],

San Francisco [http://walk.avonfoundation.org/site/PageServer?pagename=sanf_home_2k8],

Los Angeles [http://walk.avonfoundation.org/site/PageServer?pagename=losa_home_2k8],

New York [http://walk.avonfoundation.org/site/PageServer?pagename=nwy_home_2k8], and

Charlotte [http://walk.avonfoundation.org/site/PageServer?pagename=char_home_2k8].

Breast cancer is a cancer that starts in the cells of the breast in men and women. Worldwide, breast cancer is the second most common type of cancer after lung cancer (10.4% of all cancer incidence, both sexes counted) and the fifth most common cause of cancer death. Worldwide, breast cancer is by far the most common cancer amongst women, with an incidence rate more than twice that of colorectal cancer and cervical cancer and about three times that of lung cancer. However breast cancer mortality worldwide is just 25% greater than that of lung cancer in women. In 2005, breast cancer caused 502,000 deaths worldwide (7% of cancer deaths; almost 1% of all deaths). The number of cases worldwide has significantly increased since the 1970s, a phenomenon partly blamed on modern lifestyles in the Western world.

The incidence of breast cancer varies greatly around the world, being lower in less-developed countries and greatest in the more-developed countries. In the twelve world regions, the annual age-standardized incidence rates per 100,000 women are as follows: in Eastern Asia, 18; South Central Asia, 22; sub-Saharan Africa, 22; South-Eastern Asia, 26; North Africa and Western Asia, 28; South and Central America, 42; Eastern Europe, 49; Southern Europe, 56; Northern Europe, 73; Oceania, 74; Western Europe, 78; and in North America, 90.Stewart B. W. and Kleihues P. (Eds): World Cancer Report. IARCPress. Lyon 2003

Women in the United States have the highest incidence rates of breast cancer in the world; 141 among white women and 122 among African American women.Ries LAG, Eisner MP, Kosary CL, et al. SEER Cancer Statistics Review, 1975?2000. Bethesda, MD: National Cancer Institute, 2003. Among women in the US, breast cancer is the most common cancer and the second-most common cause of cancer death (after lung cancer). Women in the US have a 1 in 8 (12.5%) lifetime chance of developing invasive breast cancer and a 1 in 35 (3%) chance of breast cancer causing their death. In 2007, breast cancer was expected to cause 40,910 deaths in the US (7% of cancer deaths; almost 2% of all deaths).

In the US, both incidence and death rates for breast cancer have been declining in the last few years. Nevertheless, a US study conducted in 2005 by the Society for Women's Health Research indicated that breast cancer remains the most feared disease,

even though heart disease is a much more common cause of death among women.

Because the breast is composed of identical tissues in males and females, breast cancer also occurs in males. Incidences of breast cancer in men are approximately 100 times less common than in women, but men with breast cancer are considered to have the same statistical survival rates as women.