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BREAST CANCER AWARENESS special.thesouthern.com The Southern Illinoisan (USPS 258-980) is published daily for $178 per year at 710 N. Illinois Ave., Carbondale, IL 62901. The Southern Illinoisan is owned by Lee Enterprises, Inc. of Davenport, Iowa.

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We are

survivors

Good support and a strong faith will pull you through.

Race for the Cure!

Heritage Woods of Mt. Venon

618-241-9518

1033 S. 42nd St., Mt. Vernon, IL 62864

OPPORTUNITY

BY DEBBIE LUEBKE METRO FOR THE SOUTHERN

The fear never really goes away.

But staring into the face of death brings a heightened appreciation for life.

Several breast cancer survivors talk about how the ordeal changed their lives. Here are their stories.

MOLLY NORWOOD

Making A Difference in Lives Come in and purchase this collectible Hallmark ornament and a portion of the sale will be donated to Breast Cancer Research Park Ave. Herrin HERRIN DRUG 116 N.618-9 942-55315 Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9am-6:30pm • Sat. 9am-4pm CLOSED Sunday

Page 2 Thursday, October 15, 2009 The Southern Illinoisan

During a selfexamination on her birthday in January 1999, Molly Norwood found a lump in her breast. She and her husband, Bill, were getting ready to leave for Florida, a trip she’d looked forward to, so she agreed to see a doctor when they returned in a week.

The couple moved to Carbondale from Rolling Meadows in 1995 to be closer to their parents in Southern Illinois. Both are Southern Illinois University Carbondale graduates. A teacher and reading specialist, Norwood also started a publishing company for teachers. Her husband was a pilot for United Airlines for 31 years.

When they returned home from Florida, her doctor recommended that she get a mammogram and scheduled one for three

CHUCK NOVARA / THE SOUTHERN

Molly Norwood of Carbondale says she thought, ‘I’m not going to let this cancer get me.’

weeks later.

“I knew I couldn’t wait that long, so I called a radiologist I knew and he arranged for a mammogram that afternoon,” she said. “I don’t think people understand what it does to a person to wait.”

The next day she had a biopsy, and by the next morning she knew the awful truth. The cells were malignant. She had breast cancer.

They went to Mayo Clinic for a second opinion and then she was scheduled there for a

lumpectomy.

“The first thing I worried about was whether I’d have to take my acrylic nails off! (She didn’t). I was concerned about my 95-year-old mother (who had dementia). With my eyes closed, I could see and hear her singing, ‘I Surrender All,’ an old spiritual. It was such a comfort.”

It wasn’t until she was at a hotel near the hospital with her husband that she woke up crying in the middle of the night. She told him it was about a TV set at their house that wasn’t working.

“I had never cried until then. I thought, ‘I’m not going to let this cancer get me.’ I was going to be big and brave.”

BREAST CANCER AWARENESS Radiation treatments and chemotherapy, including a drug called “the red devil,” followed.

She suffered nausea and fatigue and lost her hair.

Then, for the next five years, she took Tamoxifen, a drug to help prevent a recurrence of the cancer.

Even more pain was in store. In September 1999, Norwood’s mother died.

Three years later, a son, Bill Jr., succumbed to pancreatic cancer.

“He told me, ‘Mom, don’t let what’s happening to me affect you.’ That was very difficult. The pain from losing a child touches the core of your soul.”

Through it all, her strongest advocate was her husband, whom she called her knight in

shining armor.

“He was right beside me and under me the entire time. I was so wrapped up in myself I didn’t realize how scared he was.”

Many other family members and friends also supported her.

“I have the best support system in the world — a wonderful family, tremendous friends and a very strong faith. These are things that made everything successful, comfortable and peaceful for me.”

One friend who mentored her, Rosemary Crisp, who died from ovarian cancer in 2007, told her to allow only 15 minutes a day for a “pity party.” When Norwood CHUCK NOVARA / THE SOUTHERN

SEE SURVIVOR / PAGE 4

Marchetta DeWitt of Anna believes positive thinking is important. ‘I try to apply it to my life.’

The Southern Illinoisan Thursday, October 15, 2009 Page 3

BREAST CANCER AWARENESS SURVIVOR: Good support and a strong faith will pull you through FROM PAGE 3 said she’d like to store up the minutes and spend an entire day in bed, Crisp told her that wouldn’t be allowed.

Cancer taught her many things, she said. The first lesson came as she went into surgery in her hospital gown.

“Hmm,” she thought. “You really can’t take it with you.

Things are not important.”

She learned she was less tolerant of “people who dwell on piddly things. And I appreciate the hugs more.”

Prayer, she realized, is powerful.

“I felt this synergy of people pulling for me. The power of prayer can’t be underestimated. It is so strong.”

She has talked to groups of women diagnosed with breast

cancer and participated in the American Cancer Society Relay For Life in Carbondale and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Walk for the Cure in Philadelphia.

She and her husband were honorary chairs of the 2004 relay.

In recognition of her 10th anniversary of surviving cancer, Norwood published a book, “The Waiting Game: A Story of Patience, Prayer and Perseverance,” to give to her granddaughters, family, friends and others in need.

“In spite of everything, I feel blessed. I don’t mind sharing my story. It may help someone and it’s therapy for me.”

MARCHETTA DEWITT Marchetta DeWitt still cries when she talks about her husband, Carl, dying from prostate cancer in 2005, a year

before she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

“It was easier for me going through cancer than caring for my husband,” said DeWitt, a retired Unity Point School teacher who lives in Anna. “He had so much pain. It hurt me so much. I was glad he didn’t have to see me through it.

“I was worried for my children and grandchildren, because they just dealt with losing my husband. They said, ‘Mom, are we going to lose you too?’ I told them I’d do whatever I could to fight it.”

A few years before her husband died, DeWitt had cared for her mother and mother-inlaw right before their deaths.

“Maybe that sort of helped me prepare for what was ahead for me. In high school, I had read

DID YOU KNOW? In the United States ...

An estimated 192,370 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in women in the United States during 2009.

About 1,910 men in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009.

Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed non-skin cancer in women.

An estimated 40,610 breast cancer deaths (440 men) are expected in 2009.

Breast cancer ranks second among cancer deaths in women (after lung cancer).

The five-year survival rate for breast cancer is 98 percent among individuals whose cancer has not spread beyond the breast at the time of diagnosis.

SOURCE: Caleb Nehring, Senior Health Initiatives Representative American Cancer Society, Illinois Division

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BREAST CANCER AWARENESS “The Power of Positive Thinking” by Norman Vincent Peale, and I think positive thoughts are important. I try to apply it to my life.”

In July 2006, a lump was found during an annual mammogram.

After another mammogram and a biopsy, she underwent surgery twice, once for a lumpectomy and another to remove 10 lymph nodes.

“I felt I was very fortunate. The mammogram detected cancer in the early stages.

Years ago, the ‘C’ word was a death sentence.”

The surgeries were followed by two series of chemotherapy and 30 radiation treatments. She was weak, nauseous, had no appetite and her hair fell out. She also suffered “chemo fog” — when “you can’t think straight.”

But all of it was temporary, she said, and she had strong support from her family, friends, doctors and medical staff. She called Donna Crow, an RN who is a patient navigator and leads the Women of Hope support group at the Breast Center in Carbondale, “my angel on earth. She is a tremendous blessing to so many.”

DeWitt is still taking Femara, a non-estrogen hormone therapy drug prescribed to discourage cancer from coming back.

Dealing with cancer altered some of her views of life, she said.

“I don’t fret about petty things that used to bug me. You realize when you almost die that some things aren’t important.

The dust on the table can wait.”

Cancer drew her family closer together, and she made some new friends.

“I enjoy walking to look at the trees in the changing seasons and listening to the birds.

God’s creation means more to you, everything does, because you don’t know how many days you might have left.”

Instead of asking, Why me? DeWitt said she wondered, Why am I still here?

“For some reason, God saw fit to spare my life, so I feel the need to give back.”

So she helps other cancer survivors at the Cancer Resource Center at Memorial Hospital of Carbondale. She teaches Sunday school and taught at a Bible school last summer. She participates in a homebound ministry program and the Retired Senior Volunteer Program.

As a member of a group of women called The Others, who have dealt with terminal illness, she visits a local nursing home and veterans’ home.

“It means a lot to see the smiles on their faces as they invite us back,” she said. “I think it’s God’s way of keeping me busy and making other people aware of cancer. It doesn’t have to ruin your life.”

PANSY JONES When Pansy Jones of Murphysboro was diagnosed with breast cancer in October 1992, her doctor told her the tumor was too far along and too aggressive for her to undergo a lumpectomy. She had to have a mastectomy.

She found the lump

herself, eight months after she had a mammogram that showed nothing suspicious.

“It was quite a shock.

It’s hard to explain the emotions you go through and the fear. It’s so frightening.

“At that time, there wasn’t much said about breast cancer. I only knew two people who had it. Now everyone is much more aware of it, thank God.” Waiting for test results “was the hardest part,” Jones said. It took four days to find out the results of her biopsy.

Then the doctor ordered a bone scan to be sure the cancer hadn’t spread, and she waited another five days to learn the outcome.

Her surgery was followed by six months of chemotherapy. She was working full time as an assistant to a dean at SIU, so she had chemo treatments on Friday, recovered during the weekend and went back to her job on Monday.

“To me, chemo was the only hope that I was going to be OK. All the time I was getting that poisonous drug, I told myself I was going to be alright. You had to have a positive mindset or you just can’t make it.”

No one told her she’d be very depressed after chemotherapy.

“I’ve always been optimistic. When you go through chemo, it changes your thinking.

The poison affects your whole body.”

Her husband, Robert, daughters, friends and co-workers offered strong support.

“It takes an army,” Jones said. “You have to be willing to let people

CHUCK NOVARA / THE SOUTHERN

Pansy Jones of Murphysboro says, ‘You have to be willing to let people help you.’

help you. If you’re used to being independent, like I was, you have to say this is someplace I need help.”

Good support and a strong faith pulled her through, she said. A fter her surgery, she took Tamoxifen for five years. There has been no recurrence of the cancer, but the fear is always there.

“It’s such a horrible disease. Once you have cancer, every little cough, ache or headache, you wonder if it’s back. Even after 17 years, I still have that feeling.

“What hurts is some of my friends have gone

through it and it comes back. For a while I couldn’t go to a funeral. I survived and theirs came back. I just heard about a friend who now has cancer in her lungs. We’re so excited that we survived, but there’s always somebody out there who didn’t. It makes you stop and say a prayer.”

After she recovered, Jones went to hospitals to talk to women just diagnosed with cancer to let them know they can survive.

She got involved with the American Cancer Society Relay For Life for 10 years. Her team was

the first one in Illinois to raise $30,000 in one year.

Now she volunteers for the Poshard Foundation for Abused Children and various groups on campus and at her church.

She has two greatgrandchildren.

“I got to see this, and it’s wonderful. Every birthday is a joy.

“I appreciate every day.

I love the seasons. I loved working, I love people, I do a lot of volunteer work. I really love life. I feel honored that I’ve had this many years to keep living and be healthy. I’m just blessed.”

The Southern Illinoisan Thursday, October 15, 2009 Page 5

BREAST CANCER AWARENESS

SIH

Breast

Center

BY DEBBIE LUEBKE METRO FOR THE SOUTHERN

For many women with breast cancer, the Breast Center at University Mall in Carbondale offers a haven of hope.

The center provides digital mammography, a key element in diagnosis, according to Dr.

Christopher Russell, a radiologist.

“That’s how you catch it early,” he said. “Early treatment increases the probability of a cure.

Digital mammography is superior to film screen mammography in every way. It provides quality images so small differences can be

DETAILS What: Breast Center Where: University Mall, 1237 E. Main, Suite C-1, Carbondale Hours: 7:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Fridays Phone: 618-457-2281

OCTOBER 17

1:30 PM at University Mall, Carbondale Grand Court in front of JCPenney

Featuring Fall Fashions from Aeropostale Buckle Hot Topic International Fashions My Favorite Toys Old Navy

Pac Sun Rue 21 Sunglass Hut Trade Home Shoes Vanity Wet Seal

Makeup provided by Macy’s. Hairstyling provided by Hot Heads.

Some modeling provided by local breast cancer survivors.

Donations will be accepted at the event to the Women With Hope Fund. Anyone who makes a donation to the fund will receive a special pass that entitles them to a same-day discount at participating mall stores.

Meet Linsey Maughan, a 26-year-old breast cancer survivor from Pinckneyville, who is currently featured on boxes of General Mills’ cereal as an ambassador for Pink Together®

Page 6 Thursday, October 15, 2009 The Southern Illinoisan

PROVIDED

Breast Center staff includes (left to right) Dr. Christopher Russell, radiologist; Dr. Ronald Mattison, medical director; and Dana West, women's imaging manager.

BREAST CANCER AWARENESS detected. Consistency, resolution and contrast make it superior.”

Since the center started using digital mammography three years ago, archival images are available to assist with the diagnosis.

“We can compare consistent exams so subtle differences can be detected easier and better,” Russell said.

The facility also has digital stereotactic breast biopsy, “a needle biopsy driven by a computer,” he explained. “It isolates and targets small abnormalities and calcifications. It’s very accurate to the millimeter.”

For some locations in the breast the stereotactic method doesn’t reach, digital needle localization can be used. Some patients even go to the hospital for a lumpectomy with the needle in place, he said.

The center also offers

breast ultrasounds. MRI guided biopsies and surgeries are performed at Memorial Hospital.

Chemotherapy and radiation treatments may be done at doctors’ offices.

“There is nothing we can’t do,” Russell said.

“All forms of breast cancer diagnosis, surgery and treatment can be performed right here in Southern Illinois.”

All the technology means a shorter waiting period for patients anxious to hear test results, often going from detection to diagnosis within 24 hours. This was a main reason Dr. Marsha Ryan, a surgeon, and Dr. Mary Rosenow, Southern Illinois Healthcare cancer care services medical director, decided to start the Breast Center.

Without the center “there were painful delays for women between the tests and the test results,” Ryan said.

Emotional and psychological support is offered too. There is a support group for women and a patient navigator to assist with problems and questions.

Recently the Breast Center was named a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence by the American College of Radiology, a recognition given only to the top four percent of this type of medical facility in the nation.

“We are blessed. The skills and expertise of our radiologists and breast surgeons, combined with the full spectrum of advanced technology and highly-trained, dedicated technicians bond the center into a Center of Excellence,” said Jennifer Badiu, SIH administrative director of cancer care services.

In 2008, staff conducted about 11,000 screening mammograms and more than 1,500 breast ultrasounds.

DID YOU KNOW? Getting well The American Cancer Society’s Patient Navigation Services offers cancer patients free services to overcome daily challenges.

Through facility partnerships with more than 50 Illinois hospitals, as well as the Society’s telephone call center with readily available cancer care specialists, people fighting cancer can get unparalleled access to information and services that complement what their doctors and hospitals provide.

The services include transportation assistance to treatments; discounted lodging at hotels for patients who need to travel to receive care; insurance coverage assistance; resource matching and referrals; and cosmetic help such as a free wig or headwear for patients who have lost their hair because of chemotherapy. The Soci-ety also offers cancer information and access to support groups via its call center, accessible anytime at 800-ACS2345, and at its Web site, www.IllinoisCancerHelp.org.

Last year in Illinois, more than 20,000 new patients and caregivers benefited from these services. This year the Soci-ety hopes to assist 27,000 more people throughout the state.

Staying well

PROVIDED

Mammography can identify breast cancer at an early stage, usually before physical symptoms develop when the disease is most treatable. Yearly mammograms are recommended starting at age 40 and continuing for as long as a woman is in good health.

At this time, breast cancer cannot be prevented, which is why regular mammograms are so important. Still, there are things women can do to lower their risk of developing breast cancer.

Women’s best overall preventive health strate-gies are to: Maintain a healthy body weight Engage in regular physical activity Reduce alcohol consumption To find the Society’s complete breast cancer early detection and nutrition and physical activity guidelines, visit cancer.org.

Fighting back The American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer® event unites communities across the nation each year to help save lives from breast cancer and provide hope to people facing the disease. Since 1993, nearly five million walkers have raised more than $340 million through Making Strides. To learn more about a Strides walk in Illinois, visit www.makingstridesillinois.com.

The society and its advocacy affiliate – the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Net-workSM (ACS CAN) – advocate for important legislation and public programs that provide increased access to breast cancer screenings, outreach and education, follow-up care and treat-ment for all people. Currently, ACS CAN is working to promote the need for and importance of increasing funding for the National Breast and Cervi-cal Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP), which provides low-income, uninsured and underinsured women access to mammograms and follow-up services.

Visit acscan.org/makingstrides to support increased funding for the NBCCEDP, which would enable hundreds of thousands more women to be served.

Through the society’s many breast cancer programs, there are numerous volunteer opportunities, such as driving patients to treatment, providing one-onone support, helping mobilize community members to participate in Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, and much more.

SOURCE: Caleb Nehring, Senior Health Initiatives Representative American Cancer Society, Illinois Division

It's important for breast cancer patients to feel strong. That's why an SIUC professor started the Strong Survivors program. See what that's all about by seeing the story on Page 12.

The Southern Illinoisan Thursday, October 15, 2009 Page 7

BREAST CANCER AWARENESS

FAQ Q

How many women are affected by breast cancer?

leading cause of cancer death after lung cancer.

An estimated 192,370 women in the United States will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in 2009, and 40,170 women will die from the disease this year.

In Illinois, an estimated 8,800 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year and nearly 1,970 will die from the disease. Among women, breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed non-skin cancer and the second

Q

Is breast cancer the most common cancer?

Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer among women, excluding skin cancer.

Who is most at risk for developing breast cancer?

Q

Several factors contribute to the risk of

frequently asked questions

developing breast cancer.

Aside from being female, age is the main risk factor.

As age increases, so does the risk of developing breast cancer. In fact, more than three out of four women who are diagnosed with breast cancer are 50 or older.

Family history and genetics also contribute.

Postmenopausal obesity and weight gain are risk factors, as are having a personal history of breast cancer, certain types of benign breast disease and several hormone-related factors.

Page 8 Thursday, October 15, 2009 The Southern Illinoisan

Q

Can men get breast cancer?

Breast cancer in men is rare, but it does occur. An estimated 1,910 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009, and approximately 440 will die of the disease.

Currently there is no technology to detect male breast cancer. The best way for a man to protect himself is to be aware of how his breasts normally look and feel and to discuss any changes with his health care provider.

Q

What effect does a family history of breast cancer have on a woman’s risk of getting the disease?

Women with a strong family history of early breast cancer — two or more close relatives diagnosed before age 50 – are at increased risk of developing the disease.

However, 70 to 80 percent of women who get breast cancer do not have a family history of this disease.

Q

When should women have mammograms?

Yearly mammograms are recommended starting at age 40 and continuing for as long as a woman is in good health.

Women with serious health problems or short life expectancy should discuss ongoing early detection testing with their health care providers. The American Cancer Society’s current breast cancer screening guidelines are as follows: Yearly mammograms are recommended

BREAST CANCER AWARENESS starting at age 40 and continuing for as long as a woman is in good health.

A clinical breast exam should be part of a periodic health exam, about 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 report any breast change promptly to their health care providers. Breast selfexam is an option for women starting in their 20s.

The American Cancer Society recommends that some women – because of their family history, a genetic mutations, or certain other factors – be screened with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in addition to mammograms. (The number of women who fall into this category is less than 2 percent of all the women in the United States.) Women who think they are in this category should talk with their doctor about their history and whether they should have an MRI with their mammogram.

Q

What is a mammogram?

A mammogram is a lowdose X-ray procedure that enables doctors to see the internal structure of the breast and possibly detect breast cancers that cannot be felt. These smaller tumors are more likely to be confined to the breast, meaning treatment is more likely to be successful.

Q

Why is early detection important?

Numerous studies have shown that early detection saves lives and increases

treatment options. The five-year survival rate for breast cancer is 98 percent among individuals whose cancer has not spread beyond the breast at time of diagnosis.

Q

What should women do to stay well other than get yearly mammograms?

In addition to finding breast cancer early through mammography, women can help reduce breast cancer risk by making healthy lifestyle choices to stay well. Many studies indicate that being overweight increases the risk of breast cancer among post-menopausal women, so all women should strive to maintain a healthy weight. In addition, moderate to vigorous physical activity has been shown to decrease breast cancer risk among both premenopausal and postmenopausal women.

Weight control and regular physical activity are also important for breast cancer survivors. There is convincing data that obesity is associated with breast cancer recurrence, and data from a large study of breast cancer survivors showed that higher who find a change in their breast should be certain that their breast change is evaluated by their doctor.

Q

Does mammography detect all breast cancers?

While mammograms detect the majority of breast cancers, they are not perfect and fail to detect about 10 to 20 percent of breast cancers. Women with negative mammograms and who find a change in their breast should be certain

that their breast change is evaluated by their doctor.

Q

Is mammography the only technology currently used to screen for breast cancer?

Mammography is the standard tool for early detection today. Other imaging techniques, however, are under investigation. These include MRI, positron emission tomography (PET), and ultrasound.

Some of the techniques are currently used to follow up on suspicious findings from a physical exam or mammogram or along with mammography in women with increased risk.

Q

Are breast cancer screenings covered by insurance?

Medicare provides coverage for yearly screening-mammography for female beneficiaries age 40 and older. Unlike other Medicare benefits, the deductible is waived for mammography. For a diagnostic mammogram, the patient pays the deductible, in addition to the copayment.

Additionally, most states ensure that private insurance companies, Medicaid and public employee health plans provide coverage and reimbursement for the early detection of breast cancer.

Q

When should women perform breast self-examinations?

What if they detect a lump? Women should always be aware of how their breasts normally look and feel. If a woman chooses to do breast self-

examinations, she should do it regularly, preferably monthly. While research does not show that doing breast selfexamination reduces breast cancer deaths, the exam may provide selfawareness and heightened sensitivity to important breast changes. If a lump is detected, a woman should see her health care professional as soon as possible for an evaluation.

Q

What are the signs and symptoms?

Breast cancer can be detected by the appearance of irregular images on mammograms.

Other signs include persistent breast changes, such as a lump, thickening, swelling, dimpling, skin irritation, distortion, retraction, scaliness, ulceration, pain and tenderness of the nipple, or spontaneous nipple discharge.

During a breast examination, lymph nodes in the armpit and above the collarbone may be felt for enlargement or firmness, which might indicate the spread of breast cancer. levels of post-treatment physical activity were associated with a 26 percent to 40 percent reduction in the risk of breast cancer recurrence, breast cancerspecific mortality, and allcause mortality.

Healthy choices such as maintaining a healthy weight, getting regular exercise, and limiting alcohol intake are critical components of breast health.

— SOURCE: Caleb Nehring, Senior Health Initiatives Representative American Cancer Society, Illinois Division

DID YOU KNOW? Breast cancer in Illinois This year in Illinois, approximately 8,800 women (60 men) will be diagnosed with breast cancer.

This year in Illinois, approximately 1,970 women (20 men) will die of breast cancer.

Breast cancer ranks second among cancer deaths in women (after lung cancer).

For Hispanic and Asian women in Illinois, breast cancer is the most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related death.

African-American women in Illinois have the highest death rate of breast cancer than any other racial or ethnic group.

SOURCE: Caleb Nehring, Senior Health Initiatives Representative American Cancer Society, Illinois Division

Nutrition prescription: Get tasty ways to keep cancer and other diseases at bay in next week's Health Magazine. Read it Wednesday in The Southern Illinoisan.

ART SERVICES

The Southern Illinoisan Thursday, October 15, 2009 Page 9

BREAST CANCER AWARENESS

Local events raise awareness Women encouraged to sign up for Buddy Check 9

Cancer is most treatable when discovered early.

That’s why Southern Illinois Healthcare, through St. Joseph Memorial Hospital, is pleased to announce a new program, Buddy Check 9.

Buddy Check 9 encourages women to pair with a family member, friend or co-worker and remind each other to do a breast self-exam on the 9th of each month. Women who join Buddy Check 9 will receive monthly email reminders, education and tips about breast health.

To sign up for a free kit and monthly reminders: 866744-2468 or visit www.sih.net.

Party with the Captain raises awareness, funds

Party with the Captain raises awareness for breast cancer and benefits the American Cancer Society.

Upscale appetizers and live music provided by party band, Burning Las Vegas, while raising funds and awareness for the American Cancer Society of McCracken County in Kentucky and Southern Illinois.

When: 8 p.m.-midnight Friday Where: Riverfront Event Center at Harrah’s Metropolis Casino and Hotel

Contact: 888-512-7469 or metropolis.frontgatetickets.com.

Tickets: $20; or reserve VIP tables and receive 10 themed VIP gifts, 10 themed T-shirts and three additional drink tickets per person.

Fashion show to raise money for breast cancer patients Local breast cancer survivors will model the new fall fashions from various University Mall stores at In Pink, In Style, a free fashion show and breast cancer awareness event Saturday afternoon in Carbondale.

Linsey Maughan, a 26-year-old breast cancer survivor and Pinckneyville native, will host the event and share her story. Linsey is one of five survivor ambassadors for General Mills’ 2009 Pink Together campaign, a national program aimed at raising breast cancer awareness and spreading hope.

As an ambassador, Linsey is featured on General Mills products.

The In Pink, In Style event will also provide an opportunity for women and their families to receive information about breast cancer diagnosis, treatment and support resources. Attendees can also sign up to win door prizes, including University Mall gift cards.

Air Conditioners • Furnaces • Heat Pumps Geothermal Systems • Generators • Duct Cleaning

Our job is simple, we just keep you comfortable!

$50 donation for each install during October for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Donations will be accepted for the Women With Hope support group, administered by Southern Illinois Healthcare’s cancer care services. Anyone who makes a donation to the fund will receive a special pass that entitles them to a same-day discount at participating mall stores.

When: 1:30 p.m. Saturday Where: Grand Court in front of J.C. Penney, University Mall, carbondale.

Take steps to get well and stay well Women can reduce their risk of breast cancer by taking additional steps to stay well by maintaining a healthy weight, eating a well-balanced diet, and engaging in physical activity. Additionally, limiting alcohol consumption can reduce breast cancer risk.

Take part in the kick off for the 2010 Making Strides Against Breast Cancer.

When: 12:30-3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25 Where: Murphysboro Event Center Tickets: $25 Info: Roxanne Conley at 618-998-9898 option 3 or roxanne.conley@cancer.org.

For more on cancer awareness: 800-227-2345.

In Honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month ALPHA Home Health Care is hosting a fitting event at our Herrin location

October 28 & 29th 8:30am - 5pm

(after 5 by appt) 301 Rushing Drive, Suite B Most insurances cover mastectomy items Our billing specialist can assist you with eligibility

Serving Southern Illinois for 62 years

For more information call 618.998.9250

618-684-HEAT • 618-998-HEAT w w w. w i l l i a m s a c . c o m

Page 10 Thursday, October 15, 2009 The Southern Illinoisan

Medicare, Medicaid & Most Major Insurances Accepted

BREAST CANCER AWARENESS

Chip measures

breast estrogen without invasive procedure

BY LAURAN NEERGAARD

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Estrogen fuels breast cancer yet doctors can’t measure how much of the hormone is in a woman’s breast without cutting into it. A Canadian invention might change that: A lab-on-a-chip that can do the work quickly with just the poke of a small needle.

Several years of study are needed before the experimental device could hit doctors’ offices, but the research published Wednesday opens the tantalizing possibility of easy, routine monitoring of various hormones.

Doctors could use it to see if breast cancer therapy is working, tell who’s at high risk, or for

other problems, such as infertility — maybe even prostate cancer.

“It’s thoughtprovoking to think, ‘What could I do with a tool like this?”‘ said Dr. Kelly Marcom, breast oncology chief at Duke University Medical Center, who wasn’t involved with the new invention. “It opens up an avenue of investigation that without tools like this, you couldn’t explore.”

The University of Toronto researchers used a powerful new technology to measure tiny droplets of estrogen from samples at least 1,000 times smaller than today’s testing requires.

Called digital microfluidics, it uses electricity to separate and purify droplets of the

hormone from a mix of other cells — all on the surface of a chip no bigger than a credit card.

“Droplets essentially can be made to dance across the surface,” said University of Toronto engineer Aaron Wheeler, who co-invented the device and calls the project “the most fun I’ve had in science.”

The research was published in a new journal, Science Translational Medicine.

Here’s the problem: Scientists have long known that estrogen plays a role in many breast cancers. While hormone tests traditionally are done with blood, estrogen is particularly concentrated in breast tissue and breast cancer patients have much higher levels

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than other women. But measuring breast estrogen requires a fairly substantial biopsy, a painful and invasive procedure with its own risks. Then come hours of intense laboratory work to extract and purify the estrogen from the mishmash of other cells. So that breasttesting is hardly ever done.

If doctors had a way to easily monitor breast estrogen levels, they could track which cancer survivors are responding to widely used estrogenblocking therapies — tamoxifen or drugs known as aromatase inhibitors — that aim to avoid a recurrence.

They might even shed light on who’s at high risk for developing cancer.

Digital microfluidics uses electricity to separate and purify droplets of the hormone from a mix of other cells — all on the surface of a chip no bigger than a credit card.

“The breast makes its own estrogen,” explained Toronto gynecology specialist Dr. Noha Mousa. “We have solid evidence that measuring estrogen inside the breast is important. No. 1 is to see if these medications are working.”

The Toronto team put the multi-step lab processing onto the surface of the new chip.

Electrical currents move droplets around the chip, allowing solvents and other chemicals to dissolve a dried tissue sample and remove other biological substances until just droplets of estrogen are left. The team took small breast tissue samples — the amount pulled from a needle instead of an open biopsy — plus blood

samples from two breast cancer patients, and reported that the chip allowed accurate estrogen measurement.

Next up: Mousa will use the technique to measure estrogen levels in a soon-to-start study of more than 200 Canadian women at high risk of getting breast cancer, who are testing whether taking those estrogen-blocking aromatase inhibitors for a year lowers their risk.

But the technology is applicable to more than breast cancer. Mousa points to infertile women who have large amounts of blood drawn several times a month to see if treatment is sparking ovulation, saying she’s also testing whether the chip might substitute pinpricks of blood.

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The Southern Illinoisan Thursday, October 15, 2009 Page 11

BREAST CANCER AWARENESS

STEPHEN RICKERL / FOR THE SOUTHERN

Allison Jurgens demonstrates an exercise that helps participants in the 'Strong Survivors' program work on regaining their balance.

Strong Survivors

SIUC program helps cancer patients recover, get fit.

BY DEBBIE LUEBKE METRO FOR THE SOUTHERN

Fatigue and weakness are words cancer survivors are very familiar with.

In the past doctors advised rest.

Yes, thought Southern Illinois University Carbondale assistant professor Phil Anton, rest can be fine, but maybe the

survivors wanted to feel stronger. too. Maybe they needed something that’s good for the body and the spirit.

So, in 2005, he decided to do his doctoral research

Page 12 Thursday, October 15, 2009 The Southern Illinoisan

project about the effects of exercise on cancer patients. That grew into the Strong Survivors program. Anton was spurred on by memories of a 14-year-old cousin

who had battled lung and brain cancer.

Initial grant money came through the Lance Armstrong Foundation, and then Southern Illinois Healthcare continued the

funding.

Anton gave cancer patients free personal training and wrote exercises for them. The one-on-one programs include walking,

BREAST CANCER AWARENESS

STEPHEN RICKERL / FOR THE SOUTHERN

Allison Jurgens, a graduate student and coordinator for the Strong Survivors program, spots Pratibha Garg (left) during a demonstration recently at Davies Gymnasium.

resistance, flexibility and balance training and aerobics. Basic nutrition advice is provided too.

He is assisted by a staff of graduate assistants who are exercise specialists. A 12-week program including weight training and aerobics is offered at the Community Health Education complex at John A. Logan College.

In early October, the SIUC Cancer Rehabilitation Laboratory opened in Davies Hall to provide cancer survivors with a place to maintain their program after finishing the JALC course. Exercise equipment includes treadmills, cycling machines, weight

machines, barbells and mats.

“The benefits are enormous,” Anton said.

“It reduces fatigue and increases strength and endurance. There are emotional and psychological components too. The exercise program gives them a level of control they can achieve to improve their outlook on life and their quality of life.”

Caregivers can attend the sessions with the patients.

“They suffer emotionally and psychologically too,” Anton said.

So far about 135 cancer patients have participated in the program.

Vickie Morrow, a breast cancer survivor from Du Quoin, participated in Anton’s research project after surgery and radiation treatments left her exhausted.

“It made me more conscious of taking care of myself,” Morrow said.

“I can’t imagine going through the whole experience and not having his program. It made a world of difference for me.”

The seed for Strong Survivors was planted while Anton was a student at the University of Northern Colorado.

His faculty adviser founded Rocky Mountain Cancer Rehabilitation with a colleague who had breast cancer.

The Southern Illinoisan Thursday, October 15, 2009 Page 13

BREAST CANCER AWARENESS

In cancer treatment,

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Lipstick, moisturizer and a wig can’t cure cancer. But beauty — and beauty products — can help heal wounded selfesteem, which often takes a big hit as patients undergo cancer treatment.

Experts say hair loss, skin discoloration and skin dryness

can undermine an already physically difficult and emotionally draining process.

“Some days I didn’t want anyone to see me or even have my husband look at me,’’ says Michele VonGerichten, a breast-cancer survivor.

“When you are waiting for your hair to grow, you spend a lot of time looking into the mirror, just waiting for a sign that you’re going

Email the word

back to normal.’’

In interviews, survivors and counselors both say the moment a person doesn’t recognize herself in the mirror because of physical changes caused by treatment can be one of the lowest points of the process. VonGerichten says the minute she took charge and regained her beauty routine, her spirits improved.

While she hopes never to

AP PHOTO / LOOK GOOD FEEL BETTER

Look Good Feel Better makeup artist Teresa Lopuchin works with a participant in the Look Good Feel Better program, which helps women cope psychologically.

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Page 14 Thursday, October 15, 2009 The Southern Illinoisan

put on her wig again, she says she’ll also never go back to the very long hair that she had before chemotherapy began last March. Her hair is now “a really short version of the Jamie Lee Curtis cut.’’

VonGerichten is one of 650,000 female cancer patients in this country to participate in the 20-yearold Look Good, Feel Better campaign, sponsored by the Personal Care Products Council Foundation. Free to any cancer patient, the program offers tips from 14,000 makeup and hair professionals from across the country on all things cosmetic: Topics include how to style a wig, tie a head scarf, fake eyebrows and even out discolored skin.

The beauty industry has long been aligned with breast-cancer charities, but this isn’t about research to find a cure; it’s about quality of life, explains executive director Louanne Roark. It’s also a nonbranded program, but industry leaders like Estee Lauder and Avon eagerly participate and have donated $10 million worth of product over the years.

Most women participate through workshops at 2,500 hospitals, cancer centers, American Cancer Society offices or other community facilities per year. There are self-help videos, workbooks and a Web site for those who don’t feel comfortable in a group setting or can’t get to one of the classes.

“The goal is we send everyone home having had a wonderful experience and learning the tools and tricks they can replicate on a daily basis,’’ says Roark.

The emphasis is hardly on glamour or vanity, adds Dr. Mary Jane Massie, a psychiatrist at New York’s Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and a

BREAST CANCER AWARENESS spokeswoman for the Look Good program. But even the least fussy person craves some normalcy, and grooming helps.

Sometimes it’s the woman who really had never paid much attention to makeup and hair before who seems to get the most out if it. “You might not feel like a full functioning person in a family or a community when you’re undergoing treatment,’’ Massie says. “This program has helped people learn tips to prepare themselves to present to their world in a way that’s comfortable to them.’’

She adds: “I saw a beautiful young woman yesterday with hair probably 5 inches long. It looked beautiful, but she had long, beautiful hair her whole life and she thinks people see her as bald and as a `cancer victim.’’’

Marybeth Maida, a breast cancer survivor, says she wished every day during her treatment that someone would not comment about the way she looked — no matter if the comment was going to be positive.

Maida recently teamed with an old friend, Debbie Kiederer, to write the book “Beauty Pearls for Chemo Girls’’ (Citadel) and launch a companion Web site.

“Our whole point is that you can’t get away from what is happening to you, but you can embrace it, find the beauty inside of you and bring it out,’’ she says.

“Chemo doesn’t change who you are, just what you look like.’’

The authors tapped as experts many in the fashion beauty industry they had encountered in their careers as a former journalist (Maida) and retail cosmetics executive (Kiederer), including Oscar Blandi, Oribe and Betsey Johnson. Among the best

advice, says Maida, is encouraging women to get their natural hair cut short before starting treatment so the transition to baldness — and a wig — won’t seem so dramatic. She adds that you can go almost anywhere with a wig, lipstick and sunglasses and you’ll look like any other busy woman.

Appearance might seem trivial in a life-or-death situation, but there are known links between stress and the immune system, notes Katherine Puckett, national director of the mind-body medicine program for the Cancer Treatment Centers of America.

“Looking good helps with confidence, which helps with stress, which helps immunity, which helps treatment,’’ she says.

The CTCA works under the guideline that each phase of cancer treatment is connected to another, Puckett explains, and having a beauty salon on site is certainly part of that.

Some men will visit the salon, she says, but it is typically women.

Still, once patients are debriefed on the mindbody connection, Puckett says she’s never seen anyone who isn’t receptive to the idea that improving self-esteem might ultimately improve health.

Paul Moskowitz, chief oncology social worker at Montefiore-Einstein Center for Cancer Care in New York, says he can see the difference when a patient has either attended a Look Good workshop or some other sort of cosmetic counseling.

“I can tell when they’ve been applying lip product or if they’ve been fitted for a wig. It’s not even in their appearance, but they’ll be more talkative and you can see a willingness to express more of their feelings, and that’s all part of healing.’’

Quick beauty tips for cancer patients For Michele VonGerichten, hearing that she needed chemotherapy was almost as devastating as the diagnosis of breast cancer itself. She didn’t know exactly what the side effects would be, but she knew that they would drastically change her appearance.

VonGerichten participated in a program called Look Good, Feel Better, a national public service program for cancer patients that addresses the physical changes that are likely to come with treatment, such as hair loss, skin discoloration and dryness. And the workshop she attended near her South Florida home was time well spent.

“I hadn’t thought about by eyebrows or lashes. ... My hair had started to grow back, but I lost them almost overnight. It was a crippling blow to my self-esteem,’’ she says. “But I remembered I had been taught how to deal with this.’’

The key to recreating brows is placement, according to the Look Good campaign. The spot where a pencil, held straight against your nose, hits the brow bone would be the start of the brow. Use the pencil to create a diagonal line from the bottom corner of your nose to the outside corner of your eye.

That’s the end point.

VonGerichten penciled in her brows with eyeliner and no one but her seemed to notice the change, she says.

Teresa Lopuchin, a Philadelphia-based makeup artist and volunteer with Look Good since its launch 20 years ago, offers other strategies: Tiny dots of eyeshadow along the lashline, preferably applied with a disposable brush or cotton swab, can mimic lashes.

Use a cream eyeshadow instead of a powder, because the skin is very sensitive and powder is more likely to flake.

The best color for lashes and brows would match or be just slightly darker than your natural hair or wig color.

Patches of dark skin, which range from the size of freckles to much larger, are best camouflaged with a cream concealer slightly lighter than natural skin tone. Lopuchin suggests sticking to peachy shades.

The Look Good Web site also recommends color-correcting concealers for more specific issues: a green shade will help with redness, and a yellow can mask blue discoloration.

Dry skin needs gentle moisturizer and gentle lip balm — and a very gentle cleanser. That’s the step often missed, Lopuchin says.

DID YOU KNOW? Working to find cures The American Cancer Society has spent more on breast cancer research than on any other cancer – having invested more than $388.4 million in breast cancer research grants since 1971.

The majority of the Society’s basic cancer research projects also have a potential benefit for breast cancer.

The Society has been an important part of many major breast cancer research breakthroughs in recent history, including mammography to screen for breast cancer, the development of tamoxifen and herceptin, and knowl-edge that genetics, diet, lack of exercise, and moderate drinking increase a person’s cancer risk.

SOURCE: Caleb Nehring, Senior Health Initiatives Representative American Cancer Society, Illinois Division

The Southern Illinoisan Thursday, October 15, 2009 Page 15

Page 16 Thursday, October 15, 2009 The Southern Illinoisan