CINCINNATI — October is Cancer Awareness Month, but education and support for women with breast and gynecological cancers is every month for Pink Ribbon Good.

What You Need To Know

  • Pink Ribbon Good provides transportation, meals, housecleaning, and peer support to women with breast and gynecologic cancers like ovarian, uterine and endometrial

  • Beginning at age 40, yearly mammograms are recommended for all women

  • Pap smears only screen for cervical cancer; many gynecological cancers have no screening tools; common symptoms include pain, bloating, changes in frequency and/or consistency of bathroom habits

A mobile unit travels across Ohio, to health fairs and other events, raising awareness about the symptoms of and potential screenings for some of the most deadly cancers facing women. 

Monthly support groups happen in person and virtually so no woman has to face her diagnosis alone. Behind these efforts is Jan Middleton, the director of peer support and education for PRG.

Middleton, a 16-year breast cancer survivor, understands first-hand the importance of a supportive community. 

“You’ll hear a lot of women say, ‘It was really the peer support that I needed the most,’” Middleton said.

Whether it’s for a specific group like HER2, metastatic breast cancer, or gynecological, the monthly meetings offer women a safe place to ask questions, compare notes, and feel less alone as they go through treatment and adjust to life after a cancer diagnosis.

For some women served by PRG, the drivers who take them to medical appointments may be the first people they share good and bad news with after treatment or follow-up. 

“We serve people who have nobody,” Middleton said. “When they meet our drivers…those drivers are family…we travel this journey with them, from diagnosis and sometimes to the end of life.”

As with all cancer, the hope is for early detection. Middleton’s mother’s breast cancer diagnosis likely saved her own life, triggering a mammogram at age 30, and it led her here, working for an organization that continues to inspire her. 

“I’ve met the most amazing people," Middleton said. "They make me a better person and they make my life so much better. You can’t ask for more than that with your work…I don’t really even consider it work, but you can’t ask for more than that."