Pink Ribbon Tour to raise breast cancer awareness

A new awareness breast cancer initiative has been launched as around 5,000 women develop the disease in Austria every year.Peter Fritsch of the Tyrolean department of the Austrian Cancer Society (Österreichische Krebshilfe) announced today (Thurs): “Around one in eight women suffer from breast cancer.”Fritsch explained around 200 sufferers were undergoing radiation therapy at the Klinik Innsbruck hospital everyday, adding that 430 Tyrolean women developed breast cancer in 2009.The cancer expert said he hoped the 8 October Pink Ribbon charity gala at Casino Innsbruck would garner donations, reduce prejudices and raise awareness of the all-too-common disease.The event will be preceded by a second six-day Pink Ribbon Tour throughout the province. Organisers hope to convince as many women as possible to see their doctors for a preventive and potentially life-saving early diagnosis check.Actress Andrea L’Arronge, businesswoman Diana Langes-Swarovski and model Gitta Saxx support the initiative.Actress Isabella Rossellini (“Blue Velvet”) and singer and actress Olivia Newton-John (“Grease”) came to Vienna to support Pink Ribbon activities in the capital last year.