 "Photo: Lisle Alderton")
About 50 women of all ages, most of whom were attired in pink, hugged and greeted each other as they sat at round tables with pink flower centerpieces and chairs tied with pink and white balloons.
These women were not just friends from a group or society; they are survivors of breast cancer and the women who support their fight.
The Manhattan Awareness Coalition had its second annual “In the Pink” luncheon to promote breast cancer awareness at the Family and Child Resource Center’s West End Conference Room.
The event not only promoted breast cancer education, but also provided solidarity among women. When asked how many women at the event were breast cancer survivors, more than a dozen women raised their hands.
“All of us [men and women] are at risk,” said Marcia Locke of the Johnson Cancer Center at K-State. “But the two biggest risk factors are being a woman and age, neither of which we can help.”
Locke was the first speaker at the luncheon. Her presentation covered the basics of breast cancer, including risks, symptoms and treatment.
“Most of you as survivors will know what I’m about to tell you, but it’s so nice to see the camaraderie,” Locke said. “It’s quite touching, really.”
Locke described cancer as a mutation of cells that continues to divide but does not die off, resulting in a tumor. She emphasized that while tumors in the breast will form a lump, most are actually benign.
The American Cancer Society estimates that 192,000 new cases of breast cancer in women occur every year. Also, 1,900 incidents of breast cancer and 440 deaths from breast cancer occur in men every year.
“Nearly all breast cancers can be successfully treated if it is detected early,” Locke said. “Mammograms are the best method of detecting breast cancer.”
The American Cancer Society recommends annual mammograms for all women starting at age 40. However, if breast cancer is in a person’s family history, it is recommended one begin annual mammograms earlier.
Locke said the American Cancer Society recommends women 20 to 39-year-old women have a clinical breast exam as a part of a yearly health exam, have a breast exam at least every three years and report any breast change to their doctor right away.
Locke recommends self-breast exams for women over the age of 20, but warned that every lump is not necessarily a tumor.
“Do it just so that you can know your own body better than any doctor seeing you for the first time does,” Locke said.
To reduce the risk of breast cancer, Locke said she recommends eating fruits and vegetables, maintaining a healthy weight, exercising and limiting alcohol consumption.
Symptoms of breast cancer can include pain, nipple discharge, color or texture change of the breast skin and the development of a lump. However, the earliest sign of breast cancer is often an abnormality detected on a mammogram before any other signs appear, Locke said.
As of this year, the overall breast cancer survival rate after five years is 89 percent. However, new detection methods and new drug therapies will hopefully increase the survival rates.
“We actually have a scientist at K-State right now researching urine testing to detect breast and prostate cancer,” Locke said.
Janice Janke, lead mammogram technician and four-year breast cancer survivor, was the next speaker. Her presentation focused on early detection of breast cancer.
“A lot of women who have had mammograms joke around about them,” Janke said. “They’re uncomfortable, they hurt, or whatever. But the young women who come in for their fist one are terrified. They take the jokes to heart and build it up in their minds to be this scary thing.”
Explaining the process of breast cancer screening, Janke said patients begin with a mammogram. Then, especially if is the patient’s first, they will have a follow-up with a radiologist, just to get a more thorough idea of what the patient’s breast tissue looks like normally in order to determine any changes in subsequent exams.
“And if you have a lump that they decided should be biopsied, you have to remember that 80 percent of biopsies come back benign,” Janke said.
A mammogram can detect breast cancer as small as what Janke described as a few salt crystals. She then showed several images explaining what was “normal” and what was “concerning” on the images.
Patients with breast implants require twice as many mammogram images in order to get a clear reading of the breast tissue around the implant. Janke admitted this can be more uncomfortable, but she said it is more important for women with implants to be screened.
Janke also discussed the myths of breast cancer. She said 99 percent of breast cancer is not painful, but every once in a while, a woman will come in with breast pain and find a tumor. Janke also said 80-90 percent of women with breast cancer do not have a family history of breast cancer. While those who do have a history of breast cancer in their family should be tested sooner, everyone needs to be checked regularly, regardless of family history.
“Early detection of breast cancer is so, so important,” Janke said. “I know that life gets in the way, but you need to take care of yourself.”
Janke ended her presentation with her personal testimony of surviving breast cancer:
“Four years ago, mine was detected on a mammogram,” she said. “Even though I knew where it was, I still couldn’t feel the lump. Unfortunately, I didn’t join a support group. I lived a few miles out of town and was just too tired after work to come back into town. But I think that they would have helped. Encourage women who have been diagnosed to join support groups.”
Julie Gibbs, a member of the Manhattan Awareness Coalition and coordinator of the lunch, said this year’s event was a great success. She also said the coalition plans to continue to hold “In the Pink” as an annual event each October.
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