More of Your Comments on Breast Feeding & Breast Cancer

Thanks for posting Bonnie's comments.
Breastfeeding is the number one preventive measure against breast
cancer but we never hear this message.
Other actions may increase early detection but there is nothing else
a woman can do that even comes close in preventive value.
We need an entire year devoted to this single breast cancer message.
Sincerely,
Jennifer O'Quinn

Bonnie Comments on Breast Feeding & Breast Cancer

Just wanted to share this email from a Buddy Check 9 viewer, Bonnie Vallance.

I know the fact that breastfeeding for a period beyond a few weeks but longer will reduce a woman's chance of getting breast cancer. Many people get all squeamish discussing issues like breast health but I believe we need to. Thank you for doing this. I just haven't heard all the facts about the issues of breast cancer discussed like the ones I have read about in books and from the Le Leche League. If you get more air time on this issue it would be nice to hear that on the news. A lot of people don't know this. I bet the baby formula companies don't want people to know.Contact La Leche league about the statistics. I forget what they are. It was enough to convince me.Mothers that breastfeed a year or more reduce the chances of breast cancer markedly. Further, often benign tumors disappear on there own at menopause. I think Dr. Susan Love has written a great book on the subject of your breast health.Every woman should have this great reference too.
Thanks again; very truly,
Bonnie Vallance

If you'd like to respond to Bonnie's email, write me at aroane@wusa9.com and we'll post your thoughts.

No Family History Cancer Documentary

A family history of breast cancer is rare, but cancer causing toxins are common. They are all around us. Is there a link between the environment and breast cancer?
That's the question raised in a new feature length documentary called No Family History. Film Director Dr. Sabrina McCormick follows one mother's struggle through breast cancer treatments while exploring the environmental risk factors in patients with no family history.
Dr. McCormick discussed the film and how we can take leadership roles in changing the way we think about breast cancer on 9 News Now @ 9 a-m.
To see the entire interview, click here

On Wednesday, November 28th from 6 -8:30 p-m at the Public Welfare Foundation, 1200-U Street, NW, the Environmental Leadersip Program will preview No Family History. I will moderate a conversation with Dr. McCormick on the need for more research & action on breast cancer prevention.
To register for this event go to http://www.elpnet.org/nofamilyhistory.php or call 202-332-3320.

Talk Cancer Risks While You Talk Turkey on Thanksgiving

The majority of women diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history. So, how much of an impact does your family history have on your risk of developing cancer? Also, who should seek genetic counseling?
On 9News Now at 9 a-m Beth Peshkin, the senior genetic counselor at Georgetown Hospital's Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, provided answers.


To see my interview with Beth Peshkin and learn why a family gathering is a perfect time to talk to relatives about your health history click here.

Seeking Strength

My name is Jennifer Butler. I’m a 19-year-old African-American girl living in Fairfax, Virginia. I wanted to e-mail you because I saw the Buddy Check 9 program on TV. Over 3 years ago, I discovered that I had a lump in my right breast.

I came across it by chance; I had had a horrible cough and was rubbing some Vick’s Vapor Rub on. At first I didn’t believe that anything could be there, that it would go away. It didn’t. That same morning, I told my Mom, who felt it and we immediately scheduled an appointment with the doctor.

The emotional roller coaster really took a toll on me. I had a mixture of emotions… fear, anxiety, even anger. I didn’t understand why something like that, whatever it was, would be there, inside my body.

The doctor was impressed that I’d found the lump myself. She examined me and decided to do an ultrasound of the area. The lump was larger than she thought it would be, but since I’m a rather slight girl, she assured me that it was most likely filled with fluid. I remember the ultrasound vividly. I’ll never forget the doctor shaking her head and pressing her lips together in a quiet murmur of concern. The lump wasn’t fluid-filled… it was a tumor. I was told that she’d need to do a biopsy, and that there were three options.

1) Pending the results, we could wait and monitor the growth.
2) They could inject a substance that would freeze the tumor and then routinely
check it.
3) Full removal of the tumor through surgery.

After much thought, I decided to have the mass removed. They were going to have to biopsy it anyway, so I opted for them to remove it then.

I remember when I made that decision. I was sitting at the dining room table. This may sound stupid, Miss Roane, but I was using colored pencils to draw a picture of this thing inside of me. I was so afraid. I felt like my body was disgusting. I didn’t want to touch the lump or any part of me at all. I didn’t understand why my body would form something ugly like that.

But prayer and music helped me through the hardest times. I listened to my favorite songs on the way to the hospital and brought my teddy bear, Bo-Bo, along with me to cuddle. The minister’s wife from my church came to pray for me before I was wheeled away to the operating room.

God was with me, Miss. While I was under, during the surgery, I had this wonderful dream. I was standing on top of a hillside while the sun was setting, and as I looked down on the city below me, above many of the houses there burned a bright flame, like the light of a candle. Then there was a thought… a whisper, in the back of my mind. These lights are all who are praying for you… all who love you. Words can't describe how I felt then!

The next couple weeks following the operation were difficult. I felt like I was holding my breath, waiting for the phone call with the biopsy results.

And then, the words… benign. Though the tumor was large, there was no sign of cancer.

That was years ago. I’m writing to you now, asking for your help. Since then, I haven’t been able to give myself a breast exam. The fear, the anxiety… it still consumes me. Every time I try, I feel sick and shaken.

I’m asking for a little of your strength. I know I need to take charge of my health, and not let this rule over me. My mother doesn’t know about how afraid it makes me; neither does my gynecologist, who examines me every now and then.

Miss Andrea, please… in any way you can, please lend me the strength to conquer my fear… so that I can take charge of my health again, and in doing so, take charge of my life.

Sincerely,
Jennifer Butler
Fairfax, Virginia

More Viewers React To IBC Alert & African-American Women

ANDREA,
You did a GREAT job bringing Dr. Levine on and FINALLY speaking out on a subject
we (the advocacy community) have wanted to shed light on, for a very long time.
That being the lopsided numbers in the African Community with IBC.
The interview and your questions, were right on. Too bad you didn't have more time,
but I understand the constraints.
My daughter passed away 2 months ago from this deadly disease, and putting Dr. Levine
on air to bring home the reality of IBC is greatly needed.
Thank you so very very much for your efforts.
Patti Bradfield, President
Inflammatory Breast Cancer
Advocacy and Research Foundation
www.ibcarf.com
www.komotv.com/ibc

IBC Poses Greater Risks to African-American Women. Why?

Cancer mortality rates are dropping faster than ever before. But the news is not as encouraging for African American women with breast cancer. Now they have a new concern.
Doctor Paul Levine is a professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the George Washington University School of Public Health. On 9 New Now at 9 A-M, Dr. Levine explains why African-American women must be proactive in their breast health. To see my interview with Dr. Levine click here.

Be an Ambassador For the Circle of Promise

A new Susan G. Komen For the Cure initiative is aimed at saving the lives of African-American women. It's called the Circle of Promise.

Alexine Jackson, a breast cancer survivor explains, in her own words, why this outreach is so vital.

Like many women, I found the lump under my arm myself while bathing. I asked my husband, an urologic surgeon, to feel it. He promptly made an appointment the next day with a breast surgeon. I am embarrassed to admit that I had never had a mammogram, even though I was only days away from my 50th birthday. In addition, I knew that I was high risk because my birth mother died of breast cancer at the age of 29. I was only 4 years old. Despite my gross negligence, I was fortunate that a biopsy revealed that my tumor was very small. I shudder when I think it could really have been much worse. Although I had the choice of a lumpectomy, I chose to have a modified radical mastectomy with a silicone implant. After my surgery, I learned that I had two affected nodes and that I would need adjuvant chemotherapy and radiation. Subsequently, I began a course of Tamoxifin, which I have decided myself to continue throughout my 21 years of survivorship. Unfortunately, even though I thought that our family history of breast cancer would end with me, two years ago, my oldest daughter was diagnosed with breast cancer. She, too, had surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. So now, our hope is that this disease does not hit a third generation of girls in our family. This is why I have joined the Circle of Promise and agreed to be an Ambassador to spread the word of hope through action.
Susan G. Komen for the Cure's Circle of Promise is designed for African American women because of recent studies and alarming statistics pertaining to this group and breast cancer. Early detection and treatment have improved, which has caused breast cancer deaths to steadily decline among all women since 1991. However, African American women still have a higher breast cancer death rate than white women. While 90 percent of white women diagnosed with breast cancer survive for at least five years, only 77 percent of black women survive for that long. These disheartening disparities have prompted Susan G. Komen for the Cure to seek the involvement of the African American community in an effort to eliminate the disparities.

What does a woman have to do if they decide to join the Circle of Promise?
When a woman decides to join the Circle of Promise, she has made the choice to take control of her health and encourage other black women to do the same. This starts by visiting www.komen.org/circle. Registering through the interactive site will be the first step she takes in making the promise to become an ambassador for the Circle of Promise and spreading the word in an effort to encourage others to join as well. Also, she can go even further in educating and encouraging others by supporting public policy efforts, helping Komen to raise funds for research, ensuring that the Circle of Promise is alive in their community, and, ultimately, never giving up on the fight to end breast cancer forever!
How can a woman really take charge of her own health? By educating herself! As women, we need to be aware of our bodies and reduce the risk factors related to breast cancer. On the Circle of Promise web site, there are lifesaving tips, including performing breast self-exams, as well as valuable information about breast cancer and the benefits of early detection.
Education is the key to early detection. This starts with being aware of your risk factors when it comes to breast cancer, knowing how to successfully perform a breast self-exam, committing to perform one every month, and most importantly, never missing your annual check ups. All of us need to promise to take these steps in order for us to have control over our health, reduce our risks, and increase our chances of early detection and treatment, which can have a life-saving outcome. Even after diagnosis, women can use the Circle of Promise for support and resources to help them realize they are not alone in their fight. They can stand strong with ambassadors nationwide, advocating for change in public policy, raising funds for research and finding a cure.

Alexine Jackon

Survivor & Ambassador For the Circle of Promise

Giving Thanks. An IBC Survivor In Her Own Words

In 14-years of reporting on breast cancer through Buddy Check 9, I've heard scores of remarkable stories of survival and courage in the face of this devastating disease. In October, I heard Pamela Crum's story. Three years ago, not only did she learn she had breast cancer, but also one of the most virulent forms of the disease ---Inflammatory Breast Cancer. Now, in her own words, Pam takes us on her cancer journey. Pam also offers advice and hope to other women.

My name is Pamela Crum. There is no known history of breast cancer in my family. I had never heard of Inflammatory Breast Cancer before and knew nothing about it. Once I started learning about it, I didn’t believe I could have breast cancer, much less such an aggressive form.

At the time of my IBC diagnosis in November 2004, I was 42 years old, and 22 weeks pregnant. In late October, I noticed a red, bumpy rash on my left breast one day in the shower. It was very unusual looking, almost like a bruise or burn. I couldn’t remember any event which would cause this, and it seemed to happen overnight.

My OB-Gyn, Dr. Joseph Collea, thought the condition might be mastitis. But after seeing the redness increase, he immediately sent me to Dr. Marie Pennanen a breast surgeon at Georgetown. Dr. Pennanen ordered a mammogram, which revealed a suspicious 3-centimeter lump. A few days later, she tried to drain the reddened area but didn’t find any liquid. I had a biopsy the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, and was told I wouldn’t hear the results for at least a week, especially with the holiday. I received a call the Monday after Thanksgiving, informing me that I had breast cancer. The next day, Dr. Pennanen called and told me that the type of breast cancer was IBC. From start to finish, I was diagnosed within about four weeks.

Although I knew the news would be upsetting for my husband, family and friends, my biggest concern was for my daughters. I was already in a high-risk pregnancy, and I wondered how I could keep my baby healthy until she was born. My oldest daughter was 3 ½ at the time, and I couldn’t imagine how devastated she would be if something happened to me. I remember driving home from work after the phone call, thinking about my daughters. I knew that for my children, I had to beat this cancer. I discussed various treatment options with my oncologist. But because of the aggressive nature of IBC, Dr. Minetta Liu's recommendation was to begin chemotherapy treatment as soon as possible. Starting in early December, I had four cycles of Adriamycin/Cytoxin while I was pregnant. The last cycle was the hardest due in part to a low white blood cell count. I was hospitalized for two days.

Eight days after my release from the hospital, I returned to have an induced birth. My daughter, Grace, was born at 36 weeks in March 2005, and went home with us three days later. There is a concern of low birth weight for babies born to women receiving chemotherapy, but she was 6 lbs, 7 oz at her birth, with a full head of hair even though I had none! The day after I left the hospital with Grace, I returned to start a different chemotherapy drug, Taxotere. Over the next two months, I had four treatments of Taxotere. In July, I started 5 ½ weeks of daily radiation treatments. After I completed my radiation treatments, I began taking Tamoxifen, which I still take daily. With both chemotherapy drugs, the first two treatments mainly left me feeling exhausted, while the last two left me achy, as if I had the flu. I was very fortunate; the anti-nausea drugs worked extremely well for me. I did lose my hair, but overall, the treatments weren’t as bad as I might have thought.

Almost three years after diagnosis, I am currently cancer free, and extremely thankful for my good health. I am recovering from a prophylactic mastectomy on the right breast and reconstructive surgery. My daughter, Grace, is now 2-1/2 years old and is in the 98th percentile for height and weight. My advice to all who read my story - Be vigilant. Be aware of your body. Don’t ignore odd changes just because you are busy, scared, or unsure if it is a problem. Early detection is critical. I am convinced that my speedy diagnosis was a key factor in my current health.

You don’t need to have a family history to have IBC, and it can happen to you at a young age. Be persistent with any questions or concerns you have. You know your body better than anyone else. If you think something is wrong, but aren’t getting a diagnosis that makes sense, find another doctor. If your doctor doesn’t believe they can successfully treat your cancer, find another doctor. Trust your judgment. While I did get a second opinion, I ultimately chose Georgetown, and was very pleased with my treatment.
Have faith! One woman sent me a card, and wrote “visualize yourself as a grandmother”. I did. You can survive, and thrive.

Pamela Crum, IBC Survivor