NATIONAL BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH Help the American Cancer Society: Making Strides Against Breast Cancer’ Dear Friend, DETAILS Please join us in the fight against breast cancer by What: Making Strikes registering to participate in Against Breast Cancer the third annual Making event, a nonStrides Against Breast competitive 5K Cancer event in Southern walk/run Illinois. The event is When: Saturday, Oct. 20; Saturday, Oct. 20th. It registration at 8 a.m., begins at 9 a.m. at the event at 9 Harry L Crisp Sr. Sports Where: Harry L. Crisp Sr. Complex in Marion. Check Sports Complext, 1606 in for pre-registered S. Carbon St., Marion participants begins at 8 a.m. Fee: $25; includes race Special survivor and T-shirt handicap parking will be available. Extras: Kids activities, Making Strides Against vendors, food, survivor/ Breast Cancer is a walk/run caregiver area that unites communities to More info: 618-998honor and celebrate breast 9898 option 3 or at cancer survivors, to educate alli.arvanis@cancer.org women about prevention and early detection, and to raise money to fund lifesaving research and support programs to help eliminate breast cancer. What makes this event unique is that it offers something for everyone: For the serious competitor: River to River will be present timing and medals will be given for top performers For the non-competitive: The same 3 mile course offered for you to complete at your own pace For beginners and those in treatment: A 1-mile less strenuous course For those unable to walk either course: Opportunity to cheer on others and participate in activities on-site By registering you have already secured your Making Strides commemorative t-shirt. By raising only $75 more you can be part of the “Impact Club” and also earn a Making Strides bracelet. Lastly, please invite any breast cancer survivors that you know to join you at the Making Strides event. Thank you in advance for what you are doing in the fight against cancer. We look forward to seeing you at the event. Sincerely, Rhonda Cox, Regional Leadership Board Chair, Southern Region, American Cancer Society
‘It just touches your heart’ Doctors, staffs develop relationships with patients BY MOLLY PARKER FOR THE SOUTHERN
The special bond she developed with female patients on their very personal journey through breast cancer drove Dr. Cynthia Aks to give up general surgery in 1997 to become a full-time breast surgeon. “I developed a close relationship with patients in caring for them and I loved that bond that I had. It became a partnership and a friendship,” she said. “I don’t see myself as just a surgeon, but in so many different aspects of helping people through this journey, that’s really a lifelong process. I get so much inspiration from my patients from their strength and spirit. It fuels me. It keeps me going.” That special bond has also sparked Aks, chief surgeon at The Breast Center in Carbondale, to make a deeper commitment to the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event this year. Aks said she always supported teams while working in Michigan, where she lived until January 2011. But this year, she is serving on the
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Page 2 Wednesday, October 3, 2012 The Southern Illinoisan
AARON EISENHAUER / THE SOUTHERN
SIH’s Breast Center staff includes (from right) Dr. Cynthia Aks, Kristal Overturf, Alison Bulger, Rachel Blumstein, Jessica Sullivan, Julie Sims, Bridget Glasco and Dr. Terry Chambers.
event’s leadership board and The Breast Center has its own team made up of staff, survivors and their family members. “I’m loving it,” she said, calling the feeling as contagious as a laugh. “One person laughs and you get one person involved and they get excited and what to pitch in and help. One of the reasons I got involved is because I have a great passion for treating the disease, and who better to help but the people in the community.” The team spirit around at The Breast Center is fueling staff participation in the Making Strides event as well. Diana Harris, a mammographer at The Breast Center, said she participates in the Making
Strides campaign in honor of her sister, who died of breast cancer 19 years ago. “Once she was diagnosed, I really got into the mammography part of it because she was so close to me,” Harris said. “It just touches your heart in a different way.” Harris said one of the great things about The Breast Center is that it offers a “one-stop shop” of sorts. Women can receive diagnostic mammogram and ultrasounds, undergo a biopsy if needed, consult with a breast surgeon and receive follow-up care. Julie Sims, a medical assistant, said watching women go through the experience has touched her life in deep and profound ways, inspiring
• To subscribe: Call 618-351-5000 from Carbondale, Murphysboro and DeSoto; 618997-3356, option 2 from Williamson County; or 800-228-0429, option 2, between 6 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays, 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.
her to give back. “They become part of your life. It really affects your whole life when you see people going through this,” she said. Participation in the event also helps spread positive messages to women, Aks said, noting how important early prevention is to surviving breast cancer, particularly detecting irregularities. “I think it’s pretty well known that if you pick it them up small we have better survival rates,” she said. “Most of that is really a strong focus on education. The American Cancer Society is really good at promoting education.” That includes the importance of a healthy diet. “They’re starting to
• To place a display ad: Call 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, 618-529-5454, option 6; from Williamson County, 618-997-3356; or toll free: 800-228-0429, option 6.
NATIONAL BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH educate children on healthy diet, not only for obesity but healthy habits as a child translates into healthier habits as an adult, which decreases cancer.” But for all the educational efforts, Aks said many women still put off annual mammograms — despite the risks of doing so. Women are encouraged to begin annual screenings between the ages of 35 and 40. For patients that have a higher risk, such as those who have a primary relative with breast cancer, the rule of thumb is to subtract 10 years from the relative’s age of diagnosis. For example, for a mother diagnosed at age 38, the daughter should begin screenings at 28. Regardless of a patient’s risk, it’s important for all women to take care of themselves, Aks stressed. “Women notoriously put themselves last,” she said. “They make time for everyone but themselves. They are role models for their family. If a mother doesn’t take care of herself, what example is that going to send to their children?” She likened it to the message from the stewardess on an airplane before takeoff. “You bring the oxygen down first and then help your child. There’s a reason for that. We have to stay healthy to help our family and our friends. “When women say they’re too busy I try to get them to understand it just takes a little bit of time to maintain their life. If we find disease late, how is that going to be beneficial to their family?”
‘I had to dig down and find the strength’ Dottie Austin’s young son inspired her fight BY MOLLY PARKER FOR THE SOUTHERN
Dottie “Dee” Austin was 33 years old with a 3-year-old son when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She remembers how important it was for her to stay strong for her son through the struggle, including losing her own hair, which he twirled on his tiny fingers for security. “It was tough for me not so much from a looks standpoint but more for him,” she said of losing her hair during the course of her nearly year-long treatment. Austin said she was terrified of cancer but put on a brave face. She told Chase, who turns 9 on Oct. 4, that mommy was on medicines to get better that were so powerful they were going to make her hair fall out. The family organized a “shaving the hair party,” where friends, family and her son took turns zipping her hair off. Austin was diagnosed on April 9, 2008. Raising a family and working, breast cancer was far from the now-37-yearold’s mind. But shortly after, she underwent a lumpectomy to remove a 2.6 centimeter tumor. She then started four months of chemotherapy and
seven weeks of radiation treatment. “I think it’s the worst thing you can ever hear. It rocked me to the core,” she said. “You hear ‘cancer;’ all the time, but when it’s you, you’re like ‘Oh my gosh, what do I have in front of me?’ It shocked me, I think, but immediately I just knew I had to dig down and find the strength because my little boy meant everything to me and because I needed to find the strength to get through that time. Now that I look back, I can’t even believe that all of that happened.” Her husband Patrick Austin, 42, said the doctor who diagnosed Dee was a close personal friend of the family and called him to break the news. He remembers vividly the drive home from work that day from Carbondale to Marion thinking of what he would tell the woman he loved about her diagnosis. “There wasn’t an easy way to go into it,” he said. The two shared tears but she rather quickly summoned her courage, Patrick recalled. “She was very strong from the very second she found out she had it,” he said. “She was not going to let our son grow up without a mom. I don’t think there’s anybody
who could have been as strong and positive as she was. She always looked for the bright side of everything.” Dee Austin is hoping she can inspire other women to take breast exams seriously, including self breast exams starting an early age. She went to the doctor after discovering what felt like a “foreign object” didn’t disappear for several days. Austin said she was not in the habit of doing self exams at the time but was simply undressing when she discovered the abnormality. She encourages her sister, nine years her junior, and other young women not to put it off. “I don’t think it’s ever too early to do your self breast exams. You have to be aware with what’s going on with yourself,” she said. “So many of us think, ‘At 40 I have to get my mammogram’ and not a lot of people think about it before then. A lot more women at a younger age are being diagnosed.” She credited the American Cancer Society with helping to spread the word to women of all ages. Austin is among those who have organized a team for this month’s 2012 Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of
JOEL HAWKSLEY / THE SOUTHERN
Dottie ‘Dee’ Austin, her husband Patrick and son Chase at their Marion home. ‘She was very strong from the second she found out she had it,’ says Patrick. ‘She was not going to let our son grow up without a mom.’
Southern Illinois event. Austin drew inspiration from others when she was going through treatment and she hopes others will draw inspiration from her story of survival as well. “I knew there were plenty of women who had survived and I had every reason to fight through it and live,” she said. “You’re never alone. You have services like the
American Cancer Society and there’s always somebody you know. Or you know someone that knows someone. “Always feel comfortable to reach out to those people because it is doable. When you first get diagnosed, it’s different for every person. Being able to talk to someone was one of the most helpful things I did myself.”
The Southern Illinoisan Wednesday, October 3, 2012 Page 3
NATIONAL BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH
‘I had done everything I was supposed to do’ Positive diagnosis came as a surprise to Cassie Henshaw
BY MOLLY PARKER FOR THE SOUTHERN
In the early 2000s, Cassie Henshaw was busy with her career and let a few years slip by when she didn’t receive a mammogram. Around 2003, a mammogram found a calcification cluster — tiny flecks of calcium in the soft tissue that can indicate early breast
cancer — on her right side and called her back into habit. “They said very often those clusters can manifest into malignant cells,” Henshaw said. “I had a few days of really being frightened and not knowing what the outcome would be.” The outcome was negative, and it changed Henshaw forever — and
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NATIONAL BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH may have saved her life when she was diagnosed with breast cancer years later. “I promised myself I would never again miss another year of having a mammogram and I haven’t.” It turned out to be a very good thing because of everything that happened. “I had no idea that anything was wrong with me. I got mammograms every year, no matter where I lived, and always with good results.” But that changed this spring. “This year, I got my mammogram as usual, and the Carbondale Breast Center called and said I needed to come back in. It got confusing because they didn’t have my most recent mammogram for comparison because of the move from Tennessee.” Henshaw, 61, retired from her job with Whirlpool and moved from Cleveland, Tenn., back to her home in Marion on July 22, 2011, to be with family. Her daughter, son-inlaw, and three grandsons live down the street. She had to wait a few agonizing days for her tests to arrive from Tennessee. “There was a very small mass on my left side.” Henshaw said. “It was so small I couldn’t believe it. I said ‘Why wasn’t it caught before?’ Then my education started. I found out we all have these cells in us; some evolve differently than others. It took me a while to wrap my head around it because I had done everything I was supposed to do.
‘There are so many worries and uncertainties that come with a cancer diagnosis; the public needs to know the American Cancer Society is there to help in many ways — whether financial, emotional or travel — this organization can help ease the concerns, allowing the patient to focus on treatment and recovery.’
Do you know the facts on breast health? 1. Not all women are at risk for breast cancer. True/ False 2. A mammogram can find cancers when they are very small, often several years before a lump or
change can be felt. True/ False 3. There’s nothing I can do to help reduce my risk of breast cancer. True/False
4. Having breast cancer always means losing a breast. True/False 5. I don’t need to get a mammogram once I’ve been through menopause. True/False
ANSWERS ARE ON PAGE 6. CASSIE HENSHAW MARION
On June 5, Henshaw underwent a lumpectomy. Even though all known cancerous cells were removed through surgery, she started chemotherapy three weeks later because she tested HER2 positive on a FISH test, the acronym for Fluorescence in Situ Hybridization, a test that “maps” the genetic material in a person’s cells, according to cancer.org. “HER2 is a gene that promotes a protein that cancer likes to feed on. It just so happened that mine came back positive. Only 20 percent of breast cancer patients test positive for this gene,” Henshaw said. Dr. Cynthia Aks of Carbondale was her surgeon, and Dr. Alberto Cuartas, of Marion, manages her treatments. Henshaw has already had six chemotherapy treatments and has two remaining. After that, she will begin radiation and continue on the drug Herceptin. “Dr Aks and Dr. Cuartas are treating me with a comprehensive treatment plan that should eradicate any rogue cells,” she said. “I feel very confident in my doctors.”
Henshaw said Southern Illinois has been a wonderful place to receive treatment, and she’s grateful to be back home among family and close friends during this life-changing and personal experience. The many side effects of the various treatments all have one commonality — fatigue. “I’m so glad I didn’t have to travel outside the area for my treatments. I feel very fortunate in being able to receive all my treatments here in Southern Illinois.” Henshaw said she’s also grateful for the American Cancer Society. Soon after receiving the diagnosis, she contacted the Marion chapter of the American Cancer Society for assistance and encourages others to do the same. “There are so many worries and uncertainties that come with a cancer diagnosis; the public needs to know the American Cancer Society is there to help in many ways — whether financial, emotional or travel — this organization can help ease the concerns, allowing the patient to focus on treatment and recovery,” she said.
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The Southern Illinoisan Wednesday, October 3, 2012 Page 5
NATIONAL BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH
‘Don’t leave anything to chance’ Kroger employers — including survivors — encourage customers, teammates BY MOLLY PARKER FOR THE SOUTHERN
Tina Rumsey put off having a mammogram for three years. When she finally went in for a checkup, she was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 49. “I just didn’t think I needed it. Who wants to take time out? You have to leave work. There was no history in my family so I thought, ‘Why bother,’” said the 51-year-old mother of two from Carbondale. Now, Rumsey does all she can to encourage other women to get an annual exam — no matter the inconvenience. Her two-year anniversary of being cancer free is this December. “I was terrified. It was the ‘c’ word,” she said. “It was very scary. My suggestion, advice to anyone is to have your mammogram. If you catch it early, it’s so much easier.” This fall, Rumsey is
supporting her employer, Kroger, with its flagship sponsorship of the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event. Kroger has committed at least $2,500 at the corporate level, said Alli Arvanis, a staff partner for the event with the American Cancer Society. “This year it’s been really exciting working with the Kroger store because they have a lot of employees who are energized to do more for the Making Strides campaign,” she said. “It’s been great because they have a few survivors in their store, which is not surprising given that one in eight women is diagnosed with breast cancer. It’s a cause near and dear to many people’s hearts.” Natalie White, associate manager at Kroger’s Carbondale store, said she was motivated by Rumsey to oversee the Making Strides campaign planning at 10 Kroger stores in the Southern
AARON EISENHAUER / THE SOUTHERN
Carbondale Kroger employees (from left) Tina Rumsey, Toni Coffel, Natalie White and Dorothy Mollet. Rumsey, a cancer survivor, supports Kroger’s donation of $2,500 to Making Strides.
Illinois market. “She was very, very tough about it. She didn’t tell everyone at the store,” White said. “I tease her all the time and tell her she’s so nice. She’s probably the nicest person I know. I tell her all the time to stop being so nice. We all put her in our thoughts and tried to help her as much as we could.” Rumsey also drew strength from other survivors, including a colleague in the store. Dorothy Mollet, 55, a
pharmacy technician from Murphysboro, was diagnosed with breast cancer in the summer of 1999. “I felt a lump on the side of my breast doing a self exam. I called the doctor’s office and made an appointment. They tried to do a needle biopsy. The doctor said it probably wasn’t cancer, but couldn’t confirm it was not malignant. I knew my health insurance coverage was really good here so I decided to go
ahead and have the lump removed. When I woke up from the surgery, he told me I had breast cancer.” Mollet finished treatments in February 2000. Before she was diagnosed at age 43, she was not getting annual mammograms. Today, her 35-year-old daughter doesn’t miss a year. “I did have two aunts that had breast cancer but at that age I wasn’t expecting it. My daughter does. She would be
considered a risk because of me. Michelle is 35. I think it’s really important to do that because there’s so much stress in a person’s life and I think that’s what brought on the cancer,” Mollet said. “I didn’t drink, didn’t smoke, wasn’t overweight. My doctor said he knows people in very good health and they get cancer. He says, ‘I really believe it’s the stress in your life.’” Mollet said she gave Rumsey this advice: “I told her to be very aggressive with her treatment. Don’t leave anything to chance.” Both women encourage other women not to put off annual mammograms. “Tell women to have their mammograms,” Rumsey said. “I was lucky, because the type I had was a more aggressive cancer, too, and if it had started three years before it could have been a lot worse. I’m just lucky it was caught so early.”
Quiz answers: Do you know the facts about breast health? 1. Not all women are at risk for breast cancer. False. All women are at risk for breast cancer. And the risk goes up with age. Some women, including those who have a close family member with the disease, such as a mother, sister, or daughter, have a higher-than-average risk of developing breast cancer themselves. However, most women who develop breast cancer have no family history. 2. A mammogram can find
cancers when they are very small, often several years before a lump or change can be felt. True. Mammograms can find cancers when they are too small to be felt. Finding breast cancer early improves the chance of successful treatment. But, mammograms are not perfect, and they might miss some cancers. Any breast lump or change in your breast should be checked by a doctor, even if your mammogram is normal. 3. There’s nothing I can do to
Page 6 Wednesday, October 3, 2012 The Southern Illinoisan
help reduce my risk of breast cancer. False. Although we don’t yet know how to prevent breast cancer, there are steps you can take to help reduce your risk: Stay at a healthy weight; being overweight or obese can increase your risk. Get plenty of exercise. The American Cancer Society recommends at least 150 minutes a week of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity.
Limit alcohol to no more than one drink a day for women (two for men). 4. Having breast cancer always means losing a breast. False. Many early breast cancers can be treated just as effectively with lumpectomy, an operation that removes only the tumor and a portion of the tissue around it. Still, not every woman is a good candidate for this treatment. If you have breast cancer, talk to your doctor about all your treatment
options, so you can make the decision that’s right for you. 5. I don’t need to get a mammogram once I’ve been through menopause. False. The risk of breast cancer increases as you get older. Most cases of breast cancer are found in women over age 55. That’s why it’s important for all women 40 and older to get a mammogram and a breast exam by a doctor every year as long as they are in good health. — American Cancer Society
NATIONAL BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH Look Good … Feel Better program schedule
What the American Cancer Society does Patient services for breast cancer patients Nutritional supplement: Patients often need nutritional supplements to keep up their strength during treatment. We can help assist patients in applying for programs that will help meet this need either for free or low cost. Pain and nausea medication program: To qualify, patients must have no prescription coverage at this time. The Medicare Part D donut hole and private insurance that doesn’t cover a specific Rx are considered in this category, as well as Medicaid pending patients. There is an application process that must be completed through the local office. Look Good … Feel Better: Cancer can rob a woman of her energy, appetite and strength. But it doesn’t have to take away her self-confidence. Look Good … Feel Better is a free program that teaches beauty techniques to women cancer patients in active treatment to help them combat the appearance-related side effects of cancer treatment. Volunteer cosmetologists lead the sessions, which include tips on skin care, make-up application, and wig choice, wig care and wig styling. All participants receive a skin-care and make-up kit that is theirs to keep free of charge.
Wig Closet: Currently housed at the local American Cancer Society office in Marion, the Wig Closet offers free wigs to cancer patients. There are also branches of the Wig Closet in Fairfield at The Medicine Shoppe – Home Medical Equipment (contact Lucy Potts at 618-842-2531), in Mount Vernon at the Center for Comprehensive Cancer Care on Wednesdays from 1 to 3 p.m. (contact Penni at 618-998-9898, ext. 3) and Split End Salon in Metropolis (contact Sherri 618524-4749) Transportation solutions: Lack of transportation leaves cancer patients with few options for completing their treatment schedules. The American Cancer Society offers several options for patients who are faced with this discouraging situation. Road to Recovery is a free service offered by the American Cancer Society in which volunteer drivers provide cancer patients transportation to and from cancer treatment, and treatment related appointments. When Medicaid Transportation is an option, ACS will fill out all of the forms and work with the transportation companies and doctors offices to schedule rides for the patient so they
Getting well Cancer Information Specialists are there 24 hours a day, seven days a week to provide information, day-to-day help, and emotional support. One-on-one support from breast cancer survivors who have “been there” Help with beauty techniques to boost selfesteem during treatment Free or low-cost
— American Cancer Society
Here’s the schedule: 6-8 p.m. Nov. 12, St. Mary’s, Centralia 10 a.m.-noon Oct. 8, Good Samaritan, Mount Vernon 10 .m.-noon Nov. 12, Harrisburg Medical Center 10 a.m.-noon Oct. 8, Memorial Hospital, Carbondale 1-3 p.m. Nov. 6, American Cancer Society office, Marion 10 a.m.-noon Dec. 10, American Cancer Society office, Marion 10 a.m.-noon Oct. 15, Wabash General Hospital, Mount Carmel
Stay well and reduce your risk
Help through every step of a cancer experience Whether it’s the middle of the day or the middle of the night, the American Cancer Society is here around the clock to guide people through every step of a breast cancer experience. Here are a few of the free programs and services that the American Cancer Society offers patients with a cancer diagnosis and their loved ones.
don’t have to worry about the hassle. When neither of these options is suitable, ACS can offer several options for transportation grants which may be available to qualified applicants to help patients and families off set the burden of high fuel prices. Personal health managers: The Personal Health Manager is a very valuable tool kit for people with cancer. The kit can help you learn about your type of cancer, treatment, and side effects, organize your cancer information, keep track of test results, doctors appointments, and medications, and organize your medical bills and insurance information. Case management: At our local office in Marion, our social service staff can help patients through a variety of situations. Through our case management process, we offer information on virtually any kind of cancer and/or treatment, we can help find financial resources when they are available, help a patient navigate through the Medicaid or Social Security Disability application and appeal process when necessary, and help with other questions when they arise.
Cancer can rob a woman of her energy, appetite and strength. But it doesn’t have to take away her selfconfidence. Look Good … Feel Better is a free program that teaches beauty techniques to women cancer patients in active treatment to help them combat the appearance-related side effects of cancer treatment. Volunteer cosmetologists lead the sessions, which include tips on skin care, make-up application, and wig choice, wig care and wig styling. All participants receive a skin-care and make-up kit that is theirs to keep free of charge.
wigs and other supplies for women in treatment Transportation to and from treatment Lodging when being treated far from home Help making informed decisions about things like medical care, finances, and insurance Online support communities Online education classes — American Cancer Society
Did you know that there are steps you can take that might reduce your risk of getting breast cancer? Staying at a healthy weight, being physically active on a regular basis, and limiting your alcohol intake are ways you can fight breast cancer and stay well. Watch your weight. Being overweight or obese is associated with an increased risk of developing breast cancer. So, choose foods that will help you maintain a healthy weight. Eat at
least 2.5 cups of a variety of vegetables and fruits each day. Try to choose whole grains instead of processed (refined) grains and sugars, and limit the amount of red meat and processed meat you eat, especially meats that are high in fat. Balance the number of calories you eat with your physical activity. Exercise. Adults should engage in moderate activity for at least 150 minutes a week, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week, or an
equivalent combination, preferably spread throughout the week. Limit the amount of alcohol you drink. Women who drink alcohol should limit their intake to no more than one drink a day. A drink is defined as 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits. Get a yearly mammogram starting at age 40. These tests can help you find breast cancer early, when it is easier to treat. — American Cancer Society
The Southern Illinoisan Wednesday, October 3, 2012 Page 7
NATIONAL BREAST CANCER AWARENESS
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month Among women, breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer other than skin cancer. Breast cancer is also the second-leading cause of cancer death in women (after lung cancer). This is where you come in. October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. You can help save lives and fuel the fight to end breast cancer by encouraging your employees to stay well by taking steps to help reduce their risk of developing breast cancer and find it early, when it is easier to treat. By collaborating with the American Cancer Society, you can also connect employees facing breast cancer to programs and services to help them focus on getting well. We encourage you to share these messages during the month of October and throughout the year. — American Cancer Society
The Mammogram: A yearly test that could save your life Scheduling your yearly appointment with your doctor? Make sure your visit includes the appropriate early detection tests for breast cancer, such as a mammogram or clinical breast exam. It could save your life. Yearly mammograms and breast exams for women age 40 and older can find breast cancer early, when the disease is most treatable. The American Cancer Society’s current breast cancer screening guidelines are: Yearly mammograms should begin at age 40 and continue for as long as a woman is in good health. A breast exam should be part of a periodic health exam — every three years for women in their 20s and 30s and every year for women age 40 and older. Women should know how their breasts normally look and feel and
Page 8 Wednesday, October 3, 2012 The Southern Illinoisan
report any breast changes to a health care provider right away. Breast selfexamination (BSE) is an option for women starting in their 20s. The five-year survival rate for breast cancer that has not spread to lymph nodes or other locations outside the breast is 99 percent. However, if the cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes, the rate drops to 84 percent. And if the cancer has spread to other organs, the rate drops to 23 percent. Remember, though, that testing for breast cancer is not perfect. Mammograms and breast exams can miss some breast cancers, so be sure to report any changes in the way your breasts look and feel to a doctor right away. For more information on how you can stay well, call the American Cancer Society at 1-800-2272345 or visit cancer.org/ breastcancer. — American Cancer Society