Yearly my oncologist’s group puts on an evening lecture
recapping new and exciting news from the San Antonio breast cancer symposium.
For the last few years my company has had a table there giving out brochures
about our sleepwear. It truly is a wonderful event and I am lucky to be a part
of an oncology practice willing to outreach to their patients this way. Did I
mention there is food and it is free?
Before the lecture starts there is time to socialize, go
around to all the tables and eat. I engage with the men and women who stop at
my table. Not only am I a vendor but a survivor. These are my people!
After talking with many people I am reminded of some
misconceptions. Here are a few myths that even women in the midst of treatments
believe or their families believe:
Breast cancer is genetic
NOPE. Less than 10%
of all breast cancers are genetic.
If you have a mastectomy you never have to worry about reoccurrences
NOPE. All it takes is
one rogue gene no matter how much tissue is removed. Cancer happens.
Mammograms are expensive or not necessary
NOPE. Under health
care reform, a routine mammogram screening is FREE and will pick up most
abnormalities of women with out dense breasts. Imaging offices are open 6 days
a week and often from 6 AM to 8PM. There is no excuse to not get a yearly
mammogram if you are over 40. They save lives!
Here are a couple of advancement take-aways from the
lecture:
Immunotherapy treatments are showing promise for breast cancer. It
targets the immune system not the tumor. The tumor may take time to respond and
often get worse before it gets better but it is another tool in the
oncologist’s arsenal.
Adjuvant Hormone Therapy Duration is benefiting from the research
on 5-10 years of patients taking tamoxifen and or aromatase inhibitors. Promising
reoccurrence and mortality rates are seen up to 15 years after the patient has
completed her program. The balance of toxicity versus benefit of extended
therapy use is the tipping point.
So there you have it.
Did you learn an interesting fact? Have you scheduled your mammogram?
7 comments:
Yes, I did learn something new, I hadn't realized that there were advances in immunotherapy. I'm so glad to know that.
Thanks Karen for stopping over for a read. My oncologist was very excited about immunotherapy, he was the speaker!
Interesting information on the new treatments. I just had my mammogram last week and got the all clear today. My office is getting 3D mammograms next month - I just missed it but will be able to have one next year. My breasts are very dense and lumpy so 3D will be a good option for me.
The 3D mammogram should be great and as you mentioned especially for dense breast. Who would think looking forward to next years mam!
Hi Haralee! Thanks for the reminder. I did just make my "Well woman" exam appointment and I'm sure that they will ask for a mammogram. It's been a few years so it is time. And good news about the immunotherapy advances. I've read a bit about some of it and it is pretty exciting. ~Kathy
You are welcome Kathy. Can I just say, "yearly" for mammogram is recommended!
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