Five New Films About Breast Cancer Premiere Oct 10 on Lifetime

Every life has been touched by breast cancer.

• About 1 in 8 women in the United States (12%) will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime.
• Although death rates have been decreasing since 1990 due to earlier diagnosis and more effective treatment, about 39,840 women in the U.S. were expected to die in 2010 from breast cancer.
• Breast cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer among U.S. women after skin cancer. Breast cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death after lung cancer.
• More than 1 in 4 cancers in women (about 28%) are breast cancer.
• In 2010, there were more than 2.5 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S.

The Lifetime Channel pays tribute to those who face the challenges of breast cancer treatment with “Five,” an anthology of five short films made by women, exploring the impact of breast cancer on people’s lives. “Five” highlights the shared experience each short film’s title character endures from the moment of diagnosis, through an interconnected story arc that uses humor and drama to focus on the effect breast cancer and its different stages of diagnosis have on relationships and the way women perceive themselves while searching for strength, comfort, medical breakthroughs and, ultimately, a cure.   The five directors are Jennifer Aniston, Alicia Keys, Demi Moore, Independent Spirit Award winner Patty Jenkins (“Monster”) and Penelope Spheeris (“Wayne’s World”).

The all-star ensemble cast includes Academy Award nominee Patricia Clarkson (“Pieces of April”), Rosario Dawson (“Sin City”), Lyndsy Fonseca (“How I Met Your Mother”), Ginnifer Goodwin (“Big Love”), Josh Holloway (“Lost”), Taylor Kinney (“The Vampire Diaries”), Jenifer Lewis (“The Princess and the Frog”), Jennifer Morrison (“House M.D.”), Kathy Najimy (“WALL-E”), Golden Globe Award winner Bob Newhart (“Horrible Bosses”), Annie Potts (“Law & Order: SVU”), Tracee Ellis Ross (“Girlfriends”), Emmy and Golden Globe winner Tony Shalhoub (“Monk”), and Emmy nominees Jeffrey Tambor (“Arrested Development”) and Jeanne Tripplehorn (“Big Love”).