Breast Cancer Care

A Mediaplanet guide to Breast Cancer Awareness

Breast Cancer Care

Samantha Harris The TV host and journalist shares her three pillars for health after life with breast cancer

How cancer affects your skin and the best ways to treat it Why Susan G. Komen is calling for a health equity revolution

SEPTEMBER 2021 | FUTUREOFPERSONALHEALTH.COM

An Independent Supplement by Mediaplanet to USA Today

Samantha Harris on Healthy, Positive Living After Breast Cancer

“When I first heard the word cancer, I was absolutely floored and blindsided,” Harris says.

She recounts how she felt a lump in her breast 11 days after she had a routine mammogram. Her OB-GYN and internist repeatedly told her that she had nothing to worry about, and that the lump was nothing, but Harris was plagued by a constant worrying at the back of her mind.

“I listened to the little voice whispering to me, and it was telling me to get a third opinion,” she says, though she also adds that she never for a minute thought she had cancer.

A personal journey Harris decided she wanted to see a breast oncologist directly, who ran several tests and ultimately diagnosed her with stage II invasive breast cancer. The diagnosis was crushing and unexpected, but her work wasn’t over.

“I wanted to be as informed as possible, and to do that, I had to seek out the opinions of three @MEDIAPLANETUSA

different surgical oncologists,” Harris says. “I had to decide whether I would try radiation or reconstruction based on the pathology findings.”

Harris notes that this is an extremely personal decision for women who are diagnosed with breast cancer. She decided after weighing several pros and cons that the right course of action was a bilateral mastectomy with two-stage reconstruction.

Despite being a generally happy and positive person who prides herself on healthy living, Harris was hit with an intense feeling of anxiety after her diagnosis. She knew recovery would be a long road, and the reality was daunting. But on her journey, she learned life lessons that would go on to influence the rest of her life, as well as the lives of others.

The power of gratitude “I didn’t understand the power of gratitude at the time,” she says. “It’s something I practice daily now as a certified health coach.”

Harris says that there are three pillars of health that she shares with her clients, which she refers to as the Your Healthiest Healthy Community. The first pillar is positive self-talk, where you acknowledge the good in a situation, even if reality feels bleak. @FUTUREOFPERSONALHEALTH

PHOTO: COURTESY SAMANTHA HARRIS

Samantha Harris, Emmyaward winning television host and journalist, has always appeared to be the pinnacle of health. However, her career pivoted to advocacy for healthy and nutritional living when she was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 40.

“The second is to worry when you have to worry,” she says. “I’m someone who always wants to plan ahead, but that leads to a lot of worry. And we oftentimes worry about things that never come to fruition, so if we put aside the worry until the moment where we truly need to be concerned, it will help alleviate a lot of the unnecessary added stress and anxiety.”

Harris also urges her clients to focus on controlling what you can control, and to try not to worry about things that are out of your control.

“I couldn’t control that I had breast cancer,” she says, “so I looked at what I could control. I could change my eating by adding more plant-based whole food nutrition to my daily intake. And I could control what I was putting in my body and using in my home

that had been filled with toxins and carcinogens.”

“The one thing that I want to share with others is that the most important thing is to truly be your own advocate,” Harris says. “We know our bodies better than anyone else, and if something doesn’t feel right, it’s imperative to seek out two or three opinions. I get that this can be overwhelming and dizzying, but it can save your life.” n Lauren Hogan

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Publisher Danielle Elbert Business Developer Gretchen Pancak Managing Director Luciana Olson Lead Designer Tiffany Pryor Designer Celia Hazard Lead Editor Mina Fanous Copy Editor Taylor Rice Director of Content and Production Jordan Hernandez Cover Photo Samantha Harris All photos are credited to Getty Images unless otherwise specified. This section was created by Mediaplanet and did not involve USA Today.

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How One Woman Is Living Beyond With Breast Cancer When Linda C. isn’t hiking and enjoying nature, she’s finding new ways to live creatively through art and creating memories with family and friends. She also faces a challenge that more than 150,000 other people in the United States face — Linda is living with metastatic breast cancer.

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inda, 60, was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer 15 years ago. But breast cancer wasn’t new for her. She’d been diagnosed and treated with an earlier stage of the disease three years prior.

“My main goal is to make a difference in the lives of those living with breast cancer and to provide inspiration by example,” she says. “We can do more together, as a community, than we can on our own.”

Metastatic breast cancer (MBC), also known as Stage IV breast cancer, is the most advanced stage of breast cancer

and occurs when the cancer has spread from its original location to a distant location in the body.

A rollercoaster Like Linda, nearly 30 percent of people diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer will experience disease progression and later develop MBC. While treatments may help manage MBC, the cancer is incurable and, for many, that brings a great deal of uncertainty. Linda compares her metastatic breast cancer journey to a rollercoaster.

“After digesting that my cancer had returned, I had no idea how long I might live,”

she says. “This is where the rollercoaster started heading toward its crest.”

“Then there was the next hill, and on it goes. Waiting for a CAT scan, an echocardiogram, and lab results keeps the rollercoaster moving, as does wondering when the cancer may begin to grow again.”

Linda was diagnosed with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive metastatic breast cancer. HER2 is a protein found on the surface of cells that are associated with tumor growth.

Approximately 1 in 5 people

PHOTO: COURTESY BEYOND PINK CAMPAIGN, ASTRAZENECA

SPONSORED

diagnosed with breast cancer is HER2 positive, which means that cancer cells may grow and spread faster.

She recalls, “When I was told my disease was HER2 positive, I was afraid because I knew it was such an aggressive form. Fortunately, I could participate in a clinical trial and I decided to take each day and be hopeful.”

Looking back, she would have liked to better understand her breast cancer earlier in diagnosis, including her specific subtype, tumor size, and stage, as well as recognize the very strong possibility it could metastasize.

It’s with this in mind that Linda encourages other patients to advocate for themselves, to ask the questions they have and to seek support from others living with metastatic breast cancer. “It’s okay to take a deep breath,” she shares. “It can be a really scary time, but you deserve to take this moment and be kind to yourself. We have a strong community, which has helped me realize that I’m not alone and that asking questions is okay.”

Feeling hopeful Even on dark days, Linda is focused on being optimistic.

“I don’t dwell on it” she says. “Over the years, I have learned ways to cope with the process and know where to find support.”

One of her support sources is Beyond Pink, sponsored by AstraZeneca. That’s where she’s been sharing her MBC story with other patients.

“My wish is that my story uplifts or encourages someone living with this disease.”

She wants to educate people about the disease and help them understand the importance of knowledge, which she hopes could one day make MBC a chronic illness instead of a terminal condition. n Kristen Castillo

Learn more about metastatic breast cancer and get support by visiting LifeBeyondPink.com.

US-57160 Last Updated 9/21

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It’s Time to Stand for H.E.R. and Create a Health Equity Revolution Economists have described Black women as a bedrock of the U.S. economy. Yet despite recent scientific advancements and the growing economic and political power of Black women in the United States, no significant progress has been made in the healthcare and health outcomes of Black women.

In fact, we are losing Black women disproportionately to a myriad of diseases, including breast cancer. Black women are about 40 percent more likely to die of breast cancer than white women. We are often diagnosed at younger ages, at later stages, and with more aggressive breast cancers leading to limited and costly treatments with poor prognosis.

As part of a multiyear effort to close the breast cancer mortality gap between Black and white women in the United States, Susan G. Komen recently launched a new initiative called Stand For H.E.R. — a Health Equity Revolution.

Healthcare equity Health equity means that everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be

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as healthy as possible. This requires removing obstacles to health such as poverty, discrimination, and their consequences, including powerlessness and lack of access to good jobs with fair pay, quality education and housing, safe environments, and healthcare. This is important because Black women face the combined effects of racial, gender, ethnic, and other forms of bias while navigating systems and institutional structures in which entrenched inequities remain the status quo.

To better understand these barriers, the inequities that must be addressed, and what interventions are needed to support Black women, Komen conducted comprehensive analyses within the 10 U.S. metropolitan areas with the greatest breast cancer inequities. The resulting report, “Closing the Breast Cancer Gap: A Roadmap to Save the Lives of Black Women in America,” detailed the underlying causes of breast cancer inequities across the breast cancer care continuum among Black women, with a focus on systemic and social determinants of health. In

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the reports, Black women across the country recount experiences of barriers they face, racism in the healthcare setting, and being subject to substandard care — despite their income, education, or insurance status.

The report found that Black women experience higher rates of death from breast cancer due to a combination of factors, including barriers to early diagnosis, the aggressive nature of certain breast cancers that are more prevalent in Black women, genetics, lack of quality care, discrimination, and systemic racism.

Implementing change Utilizing the insights gained from the report and following its recommendations for change, Komen’s Stand for H.E.R. initiative aims to decrease breast cancer disparities in the Black community beginning in the 10 U.S. metropolitan areas included in the report. This initiative will seek to improve the quality of breast cancer treatment in partnership with the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s Quality Oncology Practice Initia-

tive and will connect women to care and support through Komen-trained, culturally competent patient navigators who understand the barriers people in the Black community face. To address disparities in genetic counseling and testing in the Black community, Komen is developing culturally competent materials about genetic counseling and testing and will provide genetic counseling and testing services to the Black community.

We know Stand for H.E.R. cannot stand alone. It is critical that every sector robustly addresses breast health inequities that plague Black women.

Creating large-scale impactful change relies on the commitment of all stakeholders to move beyond the status quo and work collectively to solve this problem. We must align our efforts to achieve results and create measurable improvements. n

Dr. Kim Johnson, Senior Director, Susan G. Komen’s Stand For H.E.R. (Health Equity Revolution) Initiative

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How to Treat Your Skin During Cancer and Chemo Changes to the skin can reveal health conditions like cancer, and cancer treatment can significantly affect the skin, which is why you have to be especially mindful of your skincare regimen.

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any skin conditions are associated with an increased risk for cancer, including itching, which can indicate lymphomas; black to brown spots which may indicate breast, ovarian, cervical cancers, and others; as well as skin-colored bumps or cysts that could indicate colorectal or kidney cancers.

Dr. Lacouture, who specializes in the dermatologic side effects of cancer treatment, encourages people to be aware of skin changes and then discuss them with their doctor.

Patients already receiving cancer treatments, such as anti-cancer medications and radiation, may also experience changes to their skin.

For example, radiation treatment can irritate the skin; cancer surgery can scar; and stem cell transplants for patients with blood cancers can cause rashes.

Skincare tips “For people living with cancer, the skin becomes very sensitive, so anything that comes in contact with the skin may irritate it, even products that never posed a problem before,” says Dr. Lacou-

ture, who recommends testing products behind your ear or the underside of your forearm for one day and monitoring for signs of itching or redness.

He advises people going through cancer treatment to avoid long, hot showers or baths, which can worsen rashes and skin irritation; and not to use loofahs or sponges to clean or scrub, as they are loaded with infection-causing germs.

Avoid products that exfoliate; as well as botanicals like arnica, camphor, eucalyptus, and menthol; and those labeled “all natural,” “organic,” or unpreserved products, which may have infectious germs.

Apply hypoallergenic moisturizer — that doesn’t have perfumes or preservatives — to the skin within 15 minutes of showering or bathing.

Look for products that respect the skin barrier and are formulated for sensitive skin. Read labels for ingredients like thermal spring water, shea butter, evening primrose oil, and squalene and glycerin, which can soothe and replenish compromised skin.

Skincare products Eau Thermale Avène, a Pierre Fabre

brand, prides itself on skincare products for sensitive skin.

All of their products are non-comedogenic, tested on sensitive skin, and formulated without preservatives.

Here are four fragrance-free Avène products that may benefit the sensitive skin of patients with cancer: 1. Tolerance Control Soothing Skin Recovery Cream Tolerance Control Soothing Skin Recovery Cream is an ultra-rich daily moisturizer that helps restore the skin’s barrier while soothing visible redness, tightness, and over-heating. It’s infused with postbiotics to calm skin discomfort, and it has patented sterile packaging since it’s preservative-free.

2. Avène Thermal Spring Water Avène Thermal Spring Water facial mist hydrates, refreshes, and cools the skin.

Over 150 studies show it’s clinically proven to soothe, soften, and calm skin.

With its unique and optimal mineral composition, Avène Thermal Spring Water doesn’t dry out skin. Plus, its neutral pH helps reduce skin sensitivity and restores skin’s balance.

3. Cicalfate + Restorative Protective Cream Cicalfate + Restorative Protective Cream is a rich, nourishing cream that’s infused with a postbiotic restorative ingredient to help protect skin from external aggressors while maintaining proper hydration for optimal skin restoration. It can be used directly on irritated or wounded skin.

4. XeraCalm A.D Lipid-Replenishing Balm XeraCalm A.D Lipid-Replenishing Balm is a lipid-replenishing balm that nourishes, soothes, and calms dry, itchy skin that’s prone to irritation. It helps rebalance the microbiome while supporting skin’s defense system for healthy skin — thanks to its postbiotic-infused formula that comes in patented sterile packaging, allowing the formula to be preservative-free. n Kristen Castillo

Find out more about Eau Thermale Avène skincare products: aveneusa.com.

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Joan Lunden Shares Her Breast Cancer Journey As the long-time host of “Good Morning America,” Joan Lunden spent her career in the spotlight. But when “People” magazine called her in September 2014 and asked her to pose for the cover, she had to think about it.

That’s because they wanted her to pose without her wig. Having lost her hair during breast cancer treatment, Lunden was nervous because her hair was a big part of her identity.

“I had to somehow just dig deep down and capture G.I. Joan, capture that warrior,” she says. “I knew that it meant a lot to be able to do that.”

The magazine shot photos of Lunden with the wig, with a scarf, and bald.

“I saw the pictures and I remember the editor said, ‘Do you understand how many women in the future will see this face and say, I can do this too?’”

Diagnosis Months earlier, at age 64, Lunden had been diagnosed with aggressive triple negative breast cancer.

The cancer was only detected because Lunden, who knew she had dense breasts, requested an ultrasound. While her 3D mammogram was clean, the ultrasound detected cancer.

“The tumor was way back in my right breast, back against the chest wall,” she says. “I don’t know if I ever would have felt it.”

At first, she thought of keeping her cancer diagnosis a secret. But she ultimately decided to share her story, first on “Good Morning America,” and later on NBC, because she knew it could help others.

Finding support These days, Lunden is in remission. She does monthly self-exams and bi-annual checkups, plus an annual mammogram and ultrasound.

She urges women to understand their families’ medical histories. If you get diagnosed with breast cancer, get a second opinion, and rely on friends and family for support. She credits her husband and daughters for being so supportive during her cancer journey.

Lunden finds community on social media. For example, one woman just diagnosed with breast cancer reached out and wrote, “The first thing I thought of was you on the cover of People magazine. That’s all I can see in my head, and it said to me, you can do this.

She’s showed you that you can do this.”

Moments like that affirm Lunden’s decision to pose without a wig. She’s optimistic about the future of cancer diagnosis and care.

“The hope is that all the research that’s being done, it’s kind of all connecting and it’s making findings come at record pace, and that’s good news for women everywhere.”

Kristen Castillo

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Overcoming the Fear of Cancer Screenings Fear of the unknown keeps many people from getting their routine mammogram, but overcoming that fear might be the difference between life and death.

When it comes to cancer, including breast cancer, early detection saves lives. It’s something National Breast Cancer Foundation CEO Janelle Hail knows all too well from personal experience. It’s easy for individuals to believe that regular screenings and mammograms are not necessary, or that they themselves are not at high risk for breast cancer, but this is a dangerous misapprehension. As Hail has noted, early detection by mammograms have helped drive the breast cancer death rates down by 39 percent since 1989.

Hail was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 34, and she credits early detection with saving her life. “Mammograms are an integral part of survival tools for women today,” she says.

Early detection “Life keeps making demands on us,” Hail explains. “The children need to be picked up from school, the laundry is stacking up, and the car needs gas. We find time to do everything necessary, but why do we postpone getting a mammogram? A mammogram can detect a lump two years before it is detectable to the touch.”

Hail has also noted that it’s important to continue to get routine mammogram screenings even after remission. “Five years after my original diagnosis of breast cancer, I received a call from my nurse with news from a routine mammogram,” Hail says. The nurse explained that there had been an irregularity, and the doctor wanted her to return for further testing. When asked if she should be worried, the

nurse responded, “You know how it is, Janelle.

You’re in the business of mammograms. You know they won’t sign off on it unless they are sure everything is OK.” Hail was overcome by a familiar fear as she hung up the phone, wondering if she was going to die this time. “The instant we step into the unknown, everything in us wants to scream out, ‘I don’t want to be here!’” she says.

“Many women I meet say they are afraid to get a mammogram because of what they can find.

It all goes back to fear — fear of the unknown.”

No F.E.A.R. This is why Hail and her organization have developed what the NBCF calls the No Fear Plan.

F: Find medical help as soon as you discover something different about your breasts, such as nipple discharge, a dimpling of the tissue, redness, or other unusual symptoms.

E: End bad habits such as overeating, excessive alcohol, smoking, and other things that deteriorate your health.

A: Allow other people to surround you with care and help.

R: Run away from bad attitudes and unhealthy thoughts that fuel the fire of fear.

Rather than avoid a procedure that might reveal something we don’t want to find, such as breast cancer, the best thing we can do for our health is to consistently make sure we know everything we need to know about our health. Knowledge is power, and the more and earlier you know about your breast cancer risks, the more that can be done to keep you healthy and cancer-free. n Lynne Daggett

Answering the Most Commonly Asked Questions About Breast Cancer Two medical advisors from the Dr. Susan Love Foundation for Breast Cancer Research offer advice for breast cancer patients and the doctors who treat them.

Why is the doctor/patient relationship so important for breast cancer patients?

Where do you think doctors can improve in making this relationship stronger?

Stephanie Graff: A cancer diagnosis is a very intense time regardless of stage or what type of treatment is required. Having a physician you trust, whom you can engage in dialogue with, whom you can be vulnerable with, is really important. I think doctors can slow down and listen. In the era of electronic medical records and managed care, physicians are sometimes so busy with clicks and the next patient that they forget to be present, which makes all the difference.

circumstances, supplemental screening tests — are so important. Patients tend to have the best outcomes when cancers are found during early stages.

In 2021, what are some of the best treatment options? How can doctors form personalized treatment plans for their patients?

SG: In 2021, all breast cancer care is personalized based on the type of breast cancer, stage of disease, and prognostic markers (estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and/or HER2). When those facts are combined, breast cancer isn’t one disease, it is dozens of diseases with several different care plans depending on how the features fit together.

What are the top symptoms of breast cancer and how can people make sure they are getting early detection?

What would you recommend to patients having a hard time with their self-esteem and mental health?

Lauren Green: Some common breast cancer symptoms can include a lump in the breast or underarm, swelling or shrinking of one breast, nipple retraction, and non-breast milk spontaneous nipple discharge. Many cancers, however, can be detected by breast screening exams, like mammograms, before they are large enough to cause any symptoms.

This is why screening mammograms — and, in some

LG: Just as it takes hard work to maintain physical health, maintaining good self-esteem and mental health also requires effort, and this is particularly true for patients working their way through cancer treatments and their potential long-term effects. A good starting point for improving mental health is making sure physical health is optimized. A healthy diet, regular physical activity, and stress reduction are key.

Stephanie L. Graff M.D., FACP, Director of Breast Oncology, Lifespan Cancer Institute, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Brown University, Medical Advisor, Dr. Susan Love Foundation for Breast Cancer Research

Lauren Green M.D., Co-Chair, Center for Breast Care, Associate Residency Program Director, Department of Radiology, University of Illinois Hospital, Medical Advisor, Dr. Susan Love Foundation for Breast Cancer Research, Head of Breast Imaging

A strong support system, which may include family, friends, and support groups, is incredibly important.

Finally, professional help is sometimes necessary.

Therapy and, in some cases, medication are necessary to help patients navigate through challenging times.

Breast cancer can cause financial burdens on patients. What systems are in place to help them?

SG: Many cancer centers have oncology social workers or financial counselors who are simply heroes! The pharmaceutical industry offers patient assistance grants, GoodRX is often quite helpful, and several nonprofits have resources as well.

LG: These options vary city to city, so a great first resource would be for patients to speak directly with their healthcare providers and institutions for more information.

What should people be talking more about for Breast Cancer Awareness month this year?

SG: It is time to move from awareness to action.

Donate to clinical research. Participate in a clinical trial. Demand legislative action for research funding or affordable, equitable care. Load your friends in your car and have your mammograms together. n

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