This year, an estimated 192,370 American women, roughly 1 in 8, will hear the dreaded diagnosis “you have breast cancer.” Of those, 40,170 women will die of the disease – leaving big holes in too many lives to count.

In October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, women and men will be walking and talking to increase awareness and raise money for breast cancer issues, especially the need for early detection.

Breast cancer rates have been steadily declining since 1999, even in the Bay Area – where the rate is among the highest in the world. But ask anyone who has seen cancer slam into a mother, sister, daughter or friend and they will tell you that, declining or not, it’s still too many.

When she was 16, Jeanne Emry lost her mother to breast cancer. The loss still seems fresh for the 51-year-old Clayton woman. Every time the disease touches someone close to her, she feels the pain all over again.

When a close friend was diagnosed in 2003, a desire to “do something” motivated Emry to sign up for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk for Breast Cancer. She walked 60 miles and raised $11,000 for research. She was hooked.

“I cried when I crossed the finish line,” she recalls. “I just kept thinking, ‘Mom, I did it.’ ”

This year, Emry will walk for the fifth time. She’ll be joined by Patty Foster of Clayton and Stephanie Zukowski of Concord. It will be the first 60-mile event for Zukowski, 43, and Foster, 57.

The three – dubbed “The Chi Chi Mama’s” – will walk Nov. 21-23 in San Diego. They will walk for a long list of friends and family who have both survived and lost their battles with cancer. Zukowski’s sister, Stacy Williams, who was diagnosed earlier this year, tops the list.

The women follow a 24-week training program prepared by the Susan. G. Komen Foundation. “Anyone can do this,” says Emry. “If you follow the program, you can finish.” Training begins with daily walks, building distance until the week includes back-to-back 18-mile walks, cross training and one day of rest.

Participants in the San Diego event will walk 20 miles a day for three days, returning to a base camp each night to shower and sleep in tents.

“You don’t walk the whole 60 miles in three days during training,” Emry notes. “You just build up strength with the cross-training and the back-to-backs.”

The point is to build calluses as well as endurance, she explains. Creams, files and pumice are all off limits during training.

“Don’t touch my calluses,” Zukowski says with a laugh. “I need them.”

The Chi Chi Mama’s typically train together and have forged close bonds on their long walks. “We walk and laugh,” Emry says. “And talk,” chimes in Zukowski.

Despite the seriousness of their purpose, their sense of fun is reflected in the team name. In Spanish, “chi-chis” is slang for breasts. “More like boobs or hooters,” Foster says with a laugh. “We wanted something cute and easy to remember.” Wearing the trademark breast cancer pink T-shirts, the women are easily spotted in the community. “We have people come up to us all the time saying, ‘I just lost my mother or best friend or wife to breast cancer,’ ” Zukowski says. “It’s very emotional.”

“I stopped in Starbuck’s one day,” Emry adds, “and a lady just walked up and handed me $40 for the walk.”

Participants commit to raising $2,300 for the foundation. Emry and Zukowski have each reached their goal. The Chi Chi Mama’s will donate proceeds from a large weekend garage sale toward Foster’s goal and expect that to put her over the top. Since her first walk, Emry has raised more than $30,000 for breast cancer research.

To support the Chi Chi Mama’s, go to www.the3day.org. Click on donate, then enter Jeanne Emry, Stephanie Zukowski or Patty Foster. Or call 800- 996-3DAY to donate over the phone.