Breast Cancer
MUSKOGEE PHOENIX
Women’s basketball coach opens up about cancer battle
By Cathy Spaulding
cspaulding@muskogeephoenix.com
Through 20 years coaching basketball, including three seasons as Muskogee High Lady Roughers’ coach, Shonika Breedlove helped scores of young women face challenges on the court.
Four years ago, she faced a far more personal challenge when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
“A lot of times, even thinking about cancer in any form is devastating but in my own journey, I did find that being positive gets me through the situation,” said Breedlove, who now is dean of students at Rougher Alternative Academy.
Breedlove, who serves on the board of Women Who Care, recalled women who dealt with breast cancer before her. One was her aunt, who had two mastectomies.
See BREEDLOVE, Page 2
AWARENESS
By Wendy Burton Phoenix Correspondent
Grateful for her cancer recovery and a slew of doctors and nurses who helped her along the way, Ellen Humphrey does have an important message for other women experiencing breast cancer.
“I wish I had just had more time to consider the implant I had because I could have had the mastectomy and faced reconstruction at a later date,” she said. “But I wanted to be practical and just thought I’d have it done all at one time.” Unfortunately, her implant failed, and after more than a year, she is still trying to heal.
Humphrey’s cancer treatment wasn’t as routine as she, an experienced registered nurse, had hoped or expected to have.
In 2021, Humphrey had a routine mammogram that found a small lump.
“My primary care doctor said it looks like it’s early, it’s small,” she said. “So I checked around and found a surgeon at Saint John’s in Tulsa. She told me my options were a lumpectomy with radiation or a mastectomy with no radiation.”
See MESSAGE, Page 4
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2024
BREEDLOVE ENCOURAGES HELP, SUPPORT
1
Humphrey shares message for women facing cancer
Holland seeks to raise awareness of diagnosis in men
Estimations show 530 men die from breast cancer yearly
By Wendy Burton Phoenix Correspondent
The American Cancer Society estimates about 2,700 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer each year. The average lifetime risk for a man to get breast cancer is about 1 in 726, while women’s average lifetime risk is about 1 in 8. It would seem that it’s not common for men to get breast cancer, but as one Muskogee man learned, it’s never impossible.
Richard Holland was first diagnosed three years ago at age 67. The diagnosis was completely unexpected. Holland said he has no family history of breast cancer, but he was obese.
According to the American Cancer Society, fat cells convert male hormones into female hormones —
meaning obese men have higher estrogen levels, and high estrogen increases the risk of breast cancer developing in both men and women.
It is estimated about 530 men die from breast cancer each year, and studies show that may be due to delayed diagnosis in men. More men than women are first diagnosed when the cancer has already reached Stage 4, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Fortunately, Holland made a decision to improve his overall health, leading to significant weight loss.
“When my wife had a stroke, it made me more aware of my own health,” Holland said. “I had high blood pressure, weighed about 270 pounds, had high cholesterol, a-fibrillation, and my doctor suggested I lose weight.” Holland began eating
See MEN, Page 3
Frequently asked questions about mammograms
October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and Friday is National Mammography Day. Johns Hopkins Medicine answers five frequently asked questions about mammograms.
What are the benefits of screening mammography?
“Today’s high-quality screening mammogram is the most effective tool available to detect breast cancer before lumps can be felt or symptoms appear. Early detection of breast cancer not only helps provide a woman with more choices. It also increases her chances of having the best possible outcome.”
2
What’s the difference between a screening mammogram and a diagnostic mammogram?
“A screening mammogram is an X-ray of the breast used to detect breast changes in women who have no symptoms, no abnormalities for follow-up, or have 3 years of stable mammograms since their breast cancer diagnosis. Diagnostic mammograms are for women who need their mammograms reviewed immediately at the time of their appointment due to active problems or being followed for a finding on a previous imaging appointment. Your primary care provider and your
radiologist will carefully determine which appointment is best suited for your current needs.”
3
Is there a risk of radiation exposure from having regular mammograms?
“You may want to ask your healthcare provider about the amount of radiation used during the procedure and the risks related to your particular situation. Special care is taken to make sure that the lowest possible amount of radiation is used when you have a mammogram.”
4
What should a woman expect when having a mammogram?
“A woman should not use de -
odorant, powder, or lotions and should wear 2-piece clothing on the day of her mammogram.
A specially trained radiology technologist will perform the X-ray. The radiology technologist will ask the woman to undress, put on a gown, and stand next to the X-ray machine. Two flat surfaces, or plates, are slowly squeezed together and compress each breast for a few seconds. This compression may be somewhat painful. But it is necessary to produce the best pictures using the lowest amount of radiation possible.”
5 Are mammograms painful? “Some women find the pressure of the plates on their breasts to be uncomfortable or even painful. Timing your mammogram when your breasts are not tender is important. In premenopausal women, this is usually 1 week after your menstrual period. If you do experience discomfort or pain, ask the technologist to reposition you to try to make it as painless as possible. Remember that each X-ray takes just a few moments and could save your life.”
— Ronn Rowland
DIEGO HUMPHREY/Submitted
Ellen Humphrey keeps in shape as she heals from her failed implant.
JOHN HASLER/File photo
Before becoming Muskogee High girls basketball coach, Shonika Breedlove talked with girls during a Summer Pride gathering.
File photo
Shonika Breedlove, right, was Rougher girls’ basketball coach for three years. She’s been inducted into the Muskogee Athletics Hall of Fame.
CATHY SPAULDING/File photo
Muskogee Public Schools coach and educator
Shonika Breedlove talked about her breast cancer survival during the recent Women Who Care luncheon.
Breedlove: Survivor rallies others to help
“I would hear her talk about it, but not really be aware of what she went through,” Breedlove said during a recent Women Who Care luncheon. “All I saw was that she was still working and really resilient. And it inspired me, even as a child to think, ‘She has breast cancer, but she’s still moving on and not sitting around and sulking.’”
Breedlove recalled being inspired by NCAA Hall of Fame women’s basketball coach Kay Yow from North Carolina State University.
“She was first diagnosed in 1987, and she fought courageously for 22 years before passing away in 2009 of breast cancer,” Breedlove said. “Her public fight inspired others.”
Breedlove said one of Yow’s quotes resonated with her: “I feel like I had zero control over any kind of cancer, but I have 100% control of how I respond to dealing with cancer.”
She recalled an assistant coach who developed breast cancer. She recalled then-Muskogee High girls basketball coach Doyle Rowland allowing her to have breast cancer awareness games to help raise money for Women Who Care, an organization that helps pay for mammograms. In 2015, Breedlove’s cousin underwent breast cancer treatment.
“Despite being close to her, I still didn’t grasp what she was going through,” Breedlove said. “She did inspire me, when I turned 40, to start getting mammograms. I was faithful about getting those
mammograms, and not just self-exams.”
Breedlove recalled feeling a lump in her left breast in 2019.
“I recall going into denial, like maybe it was something else, just a little bruise, that I was not feeling what I was feeling,” she said.
She went for a more extensive exam on Valentine’s Day, 2020.
A visit to a breast specialist confirmed stage 2 breast cancer, she said.
She recalled her aunt, who went through two mastectomies, and recalled thinking “I can’t go though this twice.”
“I ended up having a double mastectomy on Sept. 28, 2020, which happened to be my grandmother’s birthday,” she said. “It was a confirmation, if you will, for those who believe there is a higher power, that my grandmother, Lucille, was looking down on me at that time.”
She said she felt that because of the early detection, self examination and getting those mammograms the cancer did not go as far as it did.
“I remember telling my doctor I had a 12-year-old daughter to live for,” she said. “Whatever you tell me you need me to do, I’m going to do it.”
Breedlove said she now encourages people to help and support for others going through breast cancer.
“Even if you know of somebody, just be there for them,” she said. “At the end of the day, that’s what my fight was for, the people who supported me — friends, family, church family, my girls who came through for me.”
Pathology reports full of difficult terminology
By Phoenix Content Services
This critical document contains detailed information about the cancer, which guides treatment decisions.
KEY COMPONENTS
Patient information:
This section includes your name, date of birth and medical record number to ensure the report is correctly matched to you.
Specimen information: Details about the tissue sample, such as where it was taken from (e.g., biopsy, lumpectomy, mastectomy), the date it was collected, and the type of procedure performed.
Diagnosis: This is the most crucial part of the report, providing the specific type and characteristics of the breast cancer.
DETAILED ANALYSIS
The pathology report will specify the type of breast cancer. The most common types are:
• Invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC): Cancer that starts in the milk ducts and invades surrounding tissue.
• Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC): Cancer that begins in the lobules (milk-producing glands) and spreads to nearby tissues.
Measured in centimeters, tumor size helps determine the stage of cancer. Generally, smaller tumors have a better prognosis. The tumor grade describes how much the cancer cells resemble normal cells under a microscope. The grade can be:
• Grade 1 (low): Cancer cells look somewhat like normal cells and tend to grow slowly.
• Grade 2 (intermediate): Cancer cells look more abnormal and grow moderately.
• Grade 3 (high): Cancer cells look very different from normal cells and tend to grow quickly. Margins indicate whether cancer cells are present at the edges of the removed tissue.
• Negative (clear) margins: No cancer cells at the edges.
• Positive margins: Cancer cells are present at the edges, which might mean more surgery is needed.
Lymph node involvement indicates whether cancer has spread to the lymph nodes. Node-negative means no cancer in the lymph nodes. Node-positive indicates that cancer is present in the lymph nodes, indicating a higher likelihood that it has spread. Tests to determine the presence of specific receptors on the cancer cells help discover the presence of estrogen receptors (ER), progesterone receptors (PR) and HER2 status. Positive ER and PR status means the cancer cells may receive signals from these hormones to grow, and hormone therapy may be effective. HER2-positive cancers have higher levels of a protein that promotes cell growth and may respond to targeted therapies like trastuzumab (Herceptin). The Ki-67 marker indicates the proportion of cancer cells that are actively dividing. Higher Ki-67 levels suggest more aggressive cancer.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Pathologist’s com-
ments are detailed observations and any additional findings the pathologist considers important. The summary and recommendations section may include suggestions for further testing or treatment options based on the findings.
WHAT TO DO NEXT
Your oncologist will explain the findings and how they affect your treatment plan. Don’t hesitate to ask questions or request clarifications. If you’re unsure about the report or recommended treatment, a second opinion can provide additional perspectives and reassurance. Understanding your pathology report empowers you to make informed decisions about your treatment and care. By familiarizing yourself with its components and discussing the details with your healthcare team, you can navigate your diagnosis with greater confidence and clarity. Knowledge is power, and staying informed is a vital part of your journey.
Many find it hard to manage treatment expenses
By Phoenix Content Services
Breastcancer.org warns the costs of breast cancer go beyond paying for medical procedures and medication. Other expenses include the transportation to and from a treatment center, child care while you are having a treatment and specialized diets. Some people may also be facing loss of income from taking time off work.
Familiarize yourself with your health insurance policy. Know what
is covered, including hospital stays, treatments, medications and diagnos-
insurance claims and correspondence. This can help track expenses and resolve disputes with insurance companies. Many hospitals and cancer treatment centers offer financial assistance programs. These programs can help cover costs not paid by insurance, including co-pays and deductibles.
tic tests. Pay attention to co-pays, deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums. Using health care providers within your insurance network can significantly reduce costs. Verify that your oncologist, hospital and any specialists are in-network. Some treatments require pre-authorization from your insurance company. Ensure your health care provider obtains this approval before proceeding with treatments to avoid unexpected bills.
“We give patients the diagnosis codes, the procedure codes, and encourage them strongly to call their insurance company to see if they need any pre-certifications and pre-authorizations and for information about co-pays and deductibles,” said Annette Hargadon, CRNP, breast surgery specialist at the Lankenau Medical Center in Pennsylvania. Maintain detailed records of all medical bills,
MANAGING COSTS WITHOUT INSURANCE If you lack insurance, investigate available coverage options. Medicaid provides health coverage for low-income individuals, and the criteria vary by state. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace offers plans that may be subsidized based on your income. Numerous organizations provide financial aid to breast cancer patients. The American Cancer Society, Susan G. Komen Foundation, and CancerCare offer grants and assistance programs to help cover treatment costs. Many hospitals have financial aid programs for uninsured patients. These programs can reduce or even eliminate medical bills based on your financial situation. Participating in clinical trials can provide access to cutting-edge treatments at no cost. Clinical trials often cover the cost of medications and related health care expenses.
TIPS FOR LOWERING MEDICATION COSTS Whenever possible, opt for generic medications instead of brand-name drugs. Generics are significantly cheaper and equally effective.
Many pharmaceutical companies offer prescription assistance programs for patients who cannot afford their medications. Programs like the Partnership for Prescription Assistance can help you find these resources. Medication prices can vary widely between pharmacies. Use online tools like GoodRx to compare prices and find discounts. Doctors often have samples of medications. Ask your oncologist if they can provide samples to help reduce your costs. If you take a medication regularly, ask your doctor to prescribe a 90day supply. Many pharmacies offer discounts for buying in bulk.
Immunotherapy proves promising frontier against types of cancer
By Phoenix Content Services
Unlike traditional therapies such as chemotherapy and radiation, which directly target cancer cells, immunotherapy harnesses the body’s immune system to recognize and fight cancer. This innovative approach offers new hope for patients, especially those with advanced or treatment-resistant forms of the disease.
The immune system is the body’s natural defense mechanism, constantly patrolling for and eliminating foreign invaders like bacteria and viruses. Cancer cells, however, often develop ways to evade immune detection, allowing them to grow and spread unchecked. Immunotherapy enhances the immune system’s ability to detect and destroy cancer cells. This can be achieved through various mechanisms, including immune checkpoint inhibitors, which block proteins that prevent immune cells from attacking cancer.
FDA-APPROVED
IMMUNOTHERAPY DRUGS
The FDA has approved two notable immunotherapy drugs for the treatment of breast cancer: Jemperli (dostarlimab) and Keytruda (pembrolizumab).
Jemperli is an immune checkpoint inhibitor that targets the PD-1 receptor on immune cells. By blocking this receptor, Jemperli enhances the ability of the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells. It is specifically approved for patients with mismatch repair-deficient (dMMR) or microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) tumors, which are more likely to respond to immunotherapy. Specialized testing of the
tumor tissue identifies these genetic markers.
Keytruda is another immune checkpoint inhibitor that targets the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway, preventing cancer cells from evading immune detection. Keytruda has shown effectiveness in treating triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), a particularly aggressive form of the disease. It is approved for use in combination with chemotherapy for patients whose tumors express the PD-L1 protein, as determined by an FDA-approved test. Keytruda is also approved for high-risk early-stage TNBC in combination with chemotherapy as neoadjuvant treatment and then continued as a single agent as adjuvant treatment after surgery.
DETERMINING WHETHER IT IS RIGHT FOR YOU
Determining whether immunotherapy is suitable for a breast cancer patient involves several factors:
Biomarker testing: The presence of specific biomarkers such as PD-L1 expression, dMMR, or MSI-H status
Lizzie says,
can indicate a higher likelihood of response to immunotherapy. These biomarkers can be identified through tissue testing.
Type of breast cancer: Immunotherapy has shown particular promise in treating certain subtypes of breast cancer, such as triple-negative breast cancer. The type and stage of cancer play a crucial role in treatment decisions.
The patient’s treatment history, including previous responses to other therapies, can influence the decision to use immunotherapy. It is often considered for patients who have not responded to traditional treatments.
A patient’s overall health and ability to tolerate potential side effects are important considerations. Immunotherapy can cause immune-related side effects that need to be managed carefully. Consulting with a health care provider is essential to make an informed decision about whether immunotherapy is the right course of treatment.
“Don’t forgettoget your importantmammogram!
Men: Holland says no reoccurrences of cancer after surgery, treatment
Continued from Page 1
healthier and walking frequently, shedding about 50 pounds over the next year. And he started feeling a lump in his left breast.
“It was pretty goodsized,” he said. “I just couldn’t feel it until I lost weight.”
Initially, his doctor thought it might be a cyst, but in 2021 his doctor he sees for thyroid problems sent him to get a CT scan at the Saint Francis Cancer Center in Tulsa.
“There was no telling how long I’d had the cancer to begin with,” Holland said. “Now I try especially to let other men know that you can get breast cancer and not even know.”
He had a double mastectomy in May of 2022, and In February of 2023, found two pea-sized lumps on the left again. Holland endured a second surgery and seven weeks of radiation. Since then, he has had no reoccurrences and is feeling well. He
maintains his weight at 190 pounds by exercising several times a week — walking and working out at the Muskogee Swim and Fitness Center regularly.
“My blood pressure is normal. I don’t have a-fib anymore. I quit alcohol, which also causes a higher risk of cancer,” Holland said. “A lot of people are surprised at a man having breast cancer, and I want other men to know it can happen to them.”
918-869-2603 LillianJay •B ker/O lillianjayne@att.net
WENDY BURTON/Special to the Phoenix Holland exercises several times a week at the Muskogee Swim and Fitness Center followng his recovery.
WENDY BURTON/Special to the Phoenix Holland changed his lifestyle after stroke, losing 50 pounds over a year.
Immunotherapy harnesses body’s immune system to recognize and fight cancer.
Message: Humphrey discusses cancer discovery
Because
more widespread than originally thought.
“They also found another small tumor that we had not seen on any of the scans before and I could not have palpitated either of them in a self exam because they were located so far back in the breast,” she said. “And it really struck me then, the importance of a mammogram, but also that women with dense breast tissue, especially those with a family history, really ought to do more than a routine mammogram. I’d say get a 3D mammogram at least and possibly an MRI.”
She was immediately sent to a plastic surgeon to discuss whether to start the reconstruction process right away. She opted to do that, not expecting things to evolve the way they did.
“They do the mastectomy first, then the plastic surgeon comes in and puts in a temporary implant that they will fill with fluid over time to make a pocket for your final implant,” Humphrey said.
During her mastectomy, in August 2021, they checked her lymph nodes for cancer, and ultimately took them all out on that
side. Consequently, she now had to face chemotherapy and radiation. She had two rounds of chemotherapy during late 2021 and early 2022.
“It was during COVID, and so I went through these treatments by myself. You couldn’t have anyone come in with you,” Humphrey said. “Luckily, the nurses were excellent. I had worked with some, knew others as parents of my children’s friends.”
Humphrey said the treatments and side effects weren’t as bad as she expected, and she had a wonderful oncologist.
ation therapy, five days per week, which she finished in May of 2022. She had her final implant put in after Thanksgiving that year, and remembers wondering if it would ever get more comfortable.
“And it really struck me then, the importance of a mammogram, but also that women with dense breast tissue, especially those with a family history, really ought to do more than a routine mammogram. I’d say get a 3D mammogram at least and possibly an MRI.”
“I use Dr. Vasseretti. I trust him, he’s easy to talk to,” she said. “And I especially loved that my chemo was just at his clinic, which is very homey and relaxed as opposed to a big hospital. It really put me at ease.”
— Ellen Humphrey
She followed chemotherapy with six weeks of radi-
Sooner State Appraisal Service
Then she had a stroke of bad luck and broke her wrist on the side she had surgery on, and her arm was in a cast for a few weeks.
“I ended up with lymphedema in that arm, which women who have had all the lymph nodes removed are very susceptible to,” Humphrey said. “I started physical therapy on that arm, and I don’t know if it was that process or not that caused it, but the wound where they did the implant ended up reopening.”
She had hyperbaric therapy for about a month, but it didn’t help. She had the implant removed in June of 2023 and has been working on healing ever since.
Humphrey said she has known other women who had mastectomies and successful reconstruction but didn’t have radiation.
“And I think that’s a key factor when it comes to having an implant done,” she said.
“The doctors said there is tissue damage that is affecting the healing process,” she said. “But I had absolutely no problems during my radiation treatments. There was only a slight discoloration and no irritation, and the idea that I couldn’t heal on that side because of tissue damage from radiation is just wild to me.”
Humphrey uses self massage and pump therapy every night to reduce the lymphedema and faces another surgery to address the wound.
“Now I just want it to be healed. I’m not worried about reconstruction anymore,” she said. “I should have had that view to begin with, but that’s just water under the bridge.”
Though Humphrey is sharing the worst parts of her breast cancer story so other women can possibly be more prepared, she truly remains positive and upbeat.
“I’m contemplating getting back to work in some fashion, but I haven’t figured that out just yet,” she said. “People ask me if I’m retired now, and I tell them ‘no, I’m not using that word yet.’”
Walking can reduce fatigue of chemotherapy patients
By Phoenix Content Services
Recent findings presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), however, reveal a promising strategy for mitigating this issue: Walking.
According to the study, women undergoing chemotherapy for early stage breast cancer who engaged in low to moderate-intensity walking experienced significantly less fatigue.
The study focused on women who walked at a low intensity (less than 2.5 mph) for 2.5 to 4 hours per week or at a moderate intensity (2.6–4.5 mph) for about 1 to 2.5 hours per week. Remarkably, these women were 43% more likely to report reduced fatigue compared to those who did not engage in regular walking.
Exercise is widely recommended to help alleviate fatigue among cancer patients. The standard guidelines suggest 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise per week. However, meeting these recommendations can be particularly challenging for individuals undergoing chemotherapy due to the physical
and emotional toll of the treatment. Begin with short walks and gradually increase the duration as you feel more comfortable. Even 10 minutes a day can make a difference. Aim for a cumulative total of 2.5 to 4 hours of walking each week at a pace that feels comfortable to you. You don’t need to reach this goal immediately; work up to it over time. Having a friend or family member join you can make walking more enjoyable and provide additional motivation. Pay attention to how you feel during and after walking. If you experience any pain or excessive fatigue, reduce the intensity or duration of your walks. Consistency is key. Incorporate walking into your daily routine, whether it’s a stroll around your neighborhood, a walk in the park or even laps around your house. Mix up your walking routes to keep things interesting. Exploring new paths or parks can make your walks more enjoyable. Consult your health care providers before starting any new exercise regimen to ensure it is safe and appropriate for your individual circumstances.
