It only takes a second for a life to change.

Whether someone feels a lump, a doctor says there is something unusual on a mammogram scan or a mother has to tell her children the bad news, breast cancer can change a life in only the instant it takes to say a few words or feel something abnormal.

One in eight women will likely be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetimes, according to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure — a nonprofit organization that helps fund the fight against breast cancer — website. In the United States, there will be 232,670 new cases of invasive breast cancer in 2014 and there will be a total of 40,000 breast cancer deaths.

With that high of percentage of people diagnosed with breast cancer, it is likely that all of us know someone who was affected by it or had it ourselves, even on a college campus. Although rare in young women, breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths for all women between the ages of 20 and 59, according to the website.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The month is filled with fundraisers and walks to help raise awareness and money for researching a cure for the life-threatening disease. People can donate money, walk or even become an advocate for countless organizations devoted to the cause.

Although Breast Cancer Awareness Month does wonders for the fight against the disease, all of our efforts to beat breast cancer once and for all cannot stop after Oct. 31.

As we near the end of the month, we cannot forget about those mothers, aunts, sisters, grandmothers and friends who are fighting for their lives. Even when the calendar turns, those 232,670 cases continue to be diagnosed and those 40,000 people continue to lose their lives.

So do not forget about breast cancer and get involved year around. For Susan G. Komen for the Cure, people can create their own fundraising event, donate, set up a fundraising page or just share their own breast cancer stories all year long.

In addition to Komen, there are countless other organizations devoted to raising breast cancer awareness or fundraising to support survivors or finding a cure to the disease.

Charities such as the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Living Beyond Breast Cancer, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and countless others all have opportunities to either donate to or volunteer for the breast cancer cause.

ISU students even have the opportunity to get involved with the fight against breast cancer on campus. Bras for the Cause, an organization that raises money for mammograms and cervical cancer tests for those who cannot afford them, has a chapter at Iowa State.

Big Pink Volleyball and Colleges Against Cancer are two other organizations on campus to raise funds and awareness for breast cancer. More information on these opportunities can be found under the student organizations page on Iowa State’s website.

So whether it’s a campus club or a national fundraising event, get involved with the fight against breast cancer throughout the year, not just in October. There are plenty of opportunities to fight the disease that will affect so many and maybe even those in your life.