Tag: Breast Cancer Awareness Month

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Opinion The Last Word

Take Action During National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Breast cancer awareness is not exclusive to the month of October. (Photo: Chernetskaya | Dreamstime.com)

This October, during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I encourage you to take a moment to think about how breast cancer has affected your life. If you haven’t been directly affected by the disease, it’s likely that a friend, family member, neighbor, or coworker has.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the United States and one of the most fatal. According to Susan G. Komen, one in eight women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. The disease doesn’t just affect women, though — in 2021, it’s estimated that there will be more than 2,600 new cases of invasive breast cancer in men in the U.S.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month was established in October 1985 to encourage women to get regular mammograms. It now also aims to teach the importance of breast cancer research, as well as how to support survivors and those going through treatment and honor those who lost their lives to the disease.

Everyone is at risk of breast cancer, and there are several factors that contribute to your level of risk — including your gender, age, ethnicity, and lifestyle. As you grow older, your risk increases. If there is a history of breast cancer in your family, you are also at an increased risk for the disease. White women and Black women have the highest rate of new breast cancer cases overall, compared to women of other ethnicities.

Knowing the breast cancer warning signs can help you detect it earlier and begin treatment sooner if cancer is detected. Signs of the disease are not the same in all people, but most commonly, it is a change in the look or feel of the breast or nipple, oftentimes a painless lump. It is important to be self-aware and to contact a healthcare provider if you notice a change or other symptoms. The American Cancer Society encourages women to begin annual mammograms as early as age 40, depending on risk factors. When in doubt, talk to your doctor about the right screening plan for you.

There are several ways to reduce your risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer. One key factor is to maintain a healthy lifestyle, which includes being physically active, maintaining a healthy weight, limiting alcohol, and eating fruits and vegetables.

There are several ways to get involved and support breast cancer awareness year-round. Encourage the women (and men) in your life to know the warning signs and seek medical attention when changes are noticed. Donate to organizations that are funding scientific research and helping patients navigate one of the toughest journeys of their lives. Or, if you know someone who is battling breast cancer, reach out to tell them you are on their team and offer to help them in any way you can.

Consider getting involved in a community event during Breast Cancer Awareness Month to show your support and help raise money for the fight against breast cancer. For example, the Susan G. Komen More Than Pink Walk takes place October 30th and is a “walk where you are” event this year. We’re lucky to have generous support from our community and local sponsors to help us raise awareness and fundraise for the cause.

Since its founding, Komen has funded nearly $1.1 billion in research and more than $2.2 billion in education, screening, and treatment, serving millions and advancing efforts to end breast cancer. In 2021, Komen awarded 30 grants totaling $14 million to researchers — including three at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville.

The power of community and advocacy advances our mission to end breast cancer, forever — won’t you be a part of it?
Tim Newman is the Susan G. Komen state executive director for Tennessee.

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News News Feature

A Local Nurse Fought Breast Cancer — Twice

CREDIT: Jaime Rogl Photography

Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) Bridgett Spillers’ life changed on October 15, 2015.

“I was going through my nightly routine and had a slight itch on my back,” she says. “I reached around to scratch and felt something odd in my left breast.”

As an FNP — and with sites like WebMD at our fingertips — Spillers knows it’s easy to self-diagnose. “Sometimes too much knowledge is a curse,” she says. But she was sure what she felt was a lump, despite having a clinical breast exam done two months prior and receiving a negative result on a breast cancer gene risk test. It would be two weeks before she could get in to see an oncologist, but “after a battery of tests,” Spillers says, “I was diagnosed with HER2-positive breast cancer.”

Jaime Rogl Photography

Bridgett Spillers

The earliest stages of a cancer diagnosis are often the most arduous, she adds. “There are more questions than answers, and no matter how hard you try, it’s difficult not to think the worst.” HER2 is an aggressive cancer. She thought about her husband and three young children — would she be there for them? What would happen to her career? What about a mastectomy, chemo, radiation? Spillers says her emotional turning point came after meeting with an oncologist and formulating a plan because “every day of waiting was delaying the fight and hurting my chances of a successful outcome.”

Spillers went through six rounds of chemotherapy, but after the fourth, the treatment plan “was validated,” she says, “because the tumor was undetectable via ultrasound.” After chemo, she underwent a double mastectomy, followed later by reconstruction. A follow-up biopsy showed she “had a pathological complete response — no detectable cancer.

“For about six months, my life was back to normal, cancer was in my rearview, or so I thought,” Spillers says. But, like before, it started with an itch … The cancer came back.

The second time around, Spillers had a lumpectomy, followed by 12 weeks of chemo, six weeks of radiation, and another year of antibodies. “My hair had just grown back,” she says, “so I was determined to try to preserve it. I’d heard about cold caps, so I researched and decided to give it a try. It was cumbersome but preserved my newly grown hair.”

Cold caps are worn by some cancer patients to help reduce hair loss by decreasing the amount of chemo medicine that penetrates the hair follicles.

Today, Spillers is an advocate for others going through the breast cancer experience. Her oncologist refers patients interested in doing cold caps to her to guide them through the process. “It usually turns into more as they find out I have been through everything,” she says. “I often talk to them several times, helping them through their journey. People will send others my way just for encouragement.”

Spillers, 41, and her family relocated from Abilene, Texas, to the Memphis area two years ago after her husband, now a FedEx pilot, retired from the Air Force. Shortly after the move, she went through that second breast cancer journey and was treated at West Cancer Center in Germantown. “Today I have an excellent prognosis,” Spillers says. “I’ve been cancer free for a year.”

Statistics suggest one in eight women will develop breast cancer. And Spillers says, “Early detection is key. Having routine check-ups important, but doing self-exams is just as important. Periodic exams help you get used to how your breast tissue feels, so that you can feel when something is different.”

If you or a loved one receives a breast cancer diagnosis, Spillers says to talk with your health-care provider to learn about treatment options and devise a plan of attack that’s best for you. But perhaps most importantly, remain positive. “It is a long journey,” she says. “Approaching it one step at a time makes it more bearable. I have a saying: Keep your faith, have hope, and choose joy. I make an effort to choose joy, even when I struggle.”

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Calling the Bluff Music

Anthony Brown Remembers Losing Wife To Cancer

Anthony Brown lost his wife, Joann, to lung cancer on January 24th, 2006. The disease started in her breast and spread to her lung.

“I think about her all the time,” Brown reminisced. “We had big plans. We bought a condo in Hilton Head, [South Carolina]. We were going to retire and lease it out when we were not there, and make it like a vacation home. I think about that, and the fact that she’s not around to see her daughters mature. Having that companionship and support, it motivates you. It encourages you. And it’s something to look forward to when you leave work. [But now], I come home to an empty house.”

Anthony Brown

  • Anthony Brown

In 2003, Joann began to notice that she couldn’t do normal chores such as sweep the floor or wash clothes without becoming fatigued. She also discovered a lump in her left breast. She decided to get examined by a doctor, which revealed she had Stage 3 breast cancer. Joann subsequently received a mastectomy to her left breast.

“After the surgery, they did radiation for several weeks. That led to chemotherapy,” Brown recalled. “From there, it was an ongoing battle with different doctor’s appointments. They were treating it with the best advanced medical technology that was available. We [also] traveled to Illinois to a Cancer Treatment Center to see what they had to offer.”

After a battling with breast cancer—the most commonly diagnosed cancer among African-American women—for a couple years, the disease intensified and spread from Joann’s breast to her lung. She began to have trouble breathing; oxygen tanks became a necessity for her to live.

According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States for both men and women.

Despite her battling with the life-threatening sickness, Joann managed to keep her condition confidential between her and her husband. Brown said his wife was determined to keep their three daughters unaware that she had cancer.

“She didn’t want them to be told that she had cancer,” Brown said. “All they knew was that she was sick. They saw her on the oxygen tank [and] the tubes she put in her nose.”

In the final weeks leading up to her death, Joann was hospitalized and connected to a ventilator. After the ventilator could no longer sustain her, she passed away. Shortly after she died, Brown gathered his daughters in one of the bedrooms in their home and informed them of the unfortunate news.

“Before she took her last breath, she said ‘Take care of my girls,’” Brown recalled. “I guess she sensed that she wasn’t going to be living much longer.”

Losing a loved one is something no one can truly prepare for. And the emotional impact that it can bring forth varies considering on the person’s strength. According to ACS, some of the effects that come with losing a loved one includes anxiety disorder, stress, suicidal thoughts, and loss of sleep, appetite, and weight.

Brown said his wife’s death affected him significantly, but he had to stay as strong as possible for the sake of his daughters.

“It’s like, we’ve been together 25 years and now there is something missing in my life,” Brown said. “It’s not the same. It seems like a part of yourself is gone. It’s a grieving process that immediately takes place. We had to plan her funeral and do her obituary. It wasn’t easy. It was a big adjustment in my life, but I persevered and went through some periods of depression and had to accept it. I had to accept that the Holy Spirit was doing [His work], and He’s not going to put more on you than you can bear.”

Nearly a decade after his wife succumbed to cancer, Brown said he still thinks about her on a regular basis. He encourages all women to pay close attention to their health, so they can enjoy a long life.

“The only message that I would give to females of age is if they’ve had close relatives [who] have been diagnosed with breast cancer, don’t take it light,” Brown said. “Get your mammograms on schedule; regular checkups on schedule; your physicals on schedule. Just your normal wellness check up, make sure you do it on schedule and pay attention to your health. If you experience anything unusual going on with your breast, take it seriously. That way, if there is a problem, you can diagnose it in the early stages. The chances of survival are a lot greater.”

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Calling the Bluff Music

Breast Cancer Survivor: Ella Thompson’s Story

Ms._Thompson.jpg

At age 77, Ella Thompson was met with the harsh reality that she had breast cancer.

While laying in bed one night, she discovered some nodules in her right breast.

“I thought perhaps they were cysts, and I could press them and get the liquid out, but that didn’t happen. They remained there,” Thompson recalled. “I went to a doctor and had him check it out. He sent me to have a mammogram, and it verified that I had cancer. It was a shock.”

Prior to discovering the nodules, Thompson hadn’t had a mammogram in a couple years. The National Cancer Institute recommends that women age 40 or older have mammograms done every one to two years.

“I try to encourage anyone who discovers something to follow through with examination, and get the mammogram every year,” Thompson said. “We fear the pain of the mammogram [but] that’s short term.”

February 17, 2004 marks the day that Thompson was informed that she had Stage 2a (IIA) breast cancer. In March of that year, she had a mastectomy done to her right breast. She underwent six chemotherapy treatments following her surgery.

Fortunate enough to not experience any hair loss or other side effects associated with breast cancer, it took Thompson a few years to overcome her battle with cancer. She’s remained cancer-free ever since.

“If you get the diagnosis, it is not a death sentence. There is life after diagnosis,” Thompson said. “If you have the faith and you have a positive attitude, you can overcome adversities, as long as you trust in God and do things that you should to further your health.”

According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), more than 27,000 African-American women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year; more than 6,000 of these women are estimated to succumb to the disease. Black women are 41 percent more likely to die from breast cancer than white women, according to ACS. However, white women are diagnosed with breast cancer at a higher rate than black women.

Thompson is a member of the Memphis chapter of Sisters Network, a national organization composed of African-American breast cancer survivors. The organization seeks to increase local and national attention on the impact of breast cancer, which affects more than 200,000 women annually.

In light of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Sisters Network Memphis will host its 9th Annual Gift for Life Block Walk on Saturday, October 19th from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Promise Land Church (3430 Overton Crossing). The Block Walk will be followed by a Health Fair, which will feature more than 30 health vendors, free food and haircuts, door prizes, and allow women to apply for mammogram screening. The Health Fair will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the church as well.

For more information on the Block Walk or Health Fair, contact Sisters Network Memphis president Carolyn Whitney at (901) 789-7239 or visit sistersnetworkmemphis.org

Click here to check out a recent Memphis Flyer article on Sisters Network Memphis

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Calling the Bluff Music

Breast Cancer Mortality Rate Higher For African-American Women

breastcancer.jpg

October isn’t just a month that signifies the arrival of autumn. It’s also Breast Cancer Awareness Month, when organizations bring attention to a disease that affects more than 200,000 women in America annually.

The statistics are even more grim for African-American women. According to the American Cancer Society, black women are 41 percent more likely to succumb to breast cancer than white women. However, white women are diagnosed with breast cancer at a higher rate than black women. The organization estimates breast cancer will claim the lives of more than 6,000 black women this year.

One potential reason the breast cancer mortality rates are higher among black women may be because black women are more susceptible to “triple negative breast cancer” (breast cancer not caused by the three usual receptors known to fuel most breast cancers: estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2). They are also statistically more likely to lack insurance coverage and less likely to undergo normal visits to the doctor for health screenings.

In Memphis, breast cancer mortality among black women seems to be a bigger issue than in other cities. A study conducted by Sinai Urban Health Institute in Chicago examined racial disparity in breast cancer mortality rates within the 25 largest cities in the country, and Memphis topped the list. Black women in Memphis are more than twice as likely to die from breast cancer as their white counterparts, according to the study.

The Memphis chapter of Sisters Network, a national organization composed of African-American breast cancer survivors, is helping bring awareness to this issue. The organization hosts fund-raisers, speaking engagements, workshops, and other efforts to help inform Memphians of the seriousness of breast cancer.

“There are a lot of myths about breast cancer. A lot of people don’t want to talk about their diagnosis,” said Carolyn Whitney, president of the Sisters Network Memphis chapter. “A lot of women know that they have a lump, but because they can’t afford the mammogram or to go to the doctor, they feel as though, ‘There’s nothing I can do.’ But there is something they can do. There are resources out there to assist any women with a mammogram. Our national slogan is ‘Stop the Silence,’ and that’s what we’re trying to do. We’re trying to stop the silence about breast cancer through education and awareness.”

To read more about the Memphis chapter of Sisters Network and its fight against breast cancer, check out my story in The Memphis Flyer next Wednesday.

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