HOHENFELS, Germany -- Cloudy conditions couldn't keep community members from turning out en masse in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month with a 5K run at Hohenfels, Oct. 18.

When asked how many community members have been affected by breast cancer, almost everyone raised their hands. This comes as no surprise considering that a staggering one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.

October is designated as Breast Cancer Awareness month and every year, bright pink T-shirts, ribbons, and bumper stickers with snappy slogans bring a high-visibility to the disease. Yet despite all that, breast cancer remains the most common cancer in women worldwide with over 1.6 million new cases in 2013 alone.

But it's not all bad news.

With early detection, the five year survival rate for breast cancer is 98 percent. Right now, there are more than 1.7 million breast cancer survivors in the United States.

"The single most effective thing you can do is increase your chance of detecting breast cancer in its early stages," said Lt. Col. Shane A. Roach, Hohenfels Health Clinic commander.

The National Breast Cancer Foundation provides an app for personal digital assistants that provides reminders for self-examinations and to schedule regular clinical breast exams and mammograms.

Roach said that the run was designed to honor those strong women and men who have been affected by breast cancer and to raise the awareness of the importance to having a plan for early detection while encouraging others to do the same.

"An early detection plan allows you to be proactive in your health," said Roach. "As we gather today to focus on breast cancer awareness, I encourage you to seek better health: mental, physical, emotional, social and spiritual. I encourage you to be active, educated and empowered. As Mahatma Ghandi once said, 'It is health that is real wealth, not pieces of gold and silver.'"