It’s nearly October and it’s tough to argue that advocates of curing any life-threatening disease have made their mission more visible than those promoting breast cancer awareness.
There’s the Race for the Cure, pink ribbons in a push for donations, even the local newspaper is printed pink one Sunday during October – Breast Cancer Awareness month.
That makes a busy month for Shahla Masood, M.D., professor and chair of the Department of Pathology at University of Florida College of Medicine-Jacksonville and director of the Shands Jacksonville Breast Health Center.
Masood, founding editor of The Breast Journal and frequent international keynote speaker, will be hosting several free forums throughout the month and took time to share five things every woman should know about breast health:
- Don’t panic Fear paralyzes people, Masood said. People become so anxious and disillusioned that they opt for therapy that is more radical than necessary for a majority of the breast cancer cases, she said.
“What we want women to do is take their time, understand what they have and get a second opinion,” Masood said.
Women should talk to their physicians and try to make a well-balanced decision based on the extent and the biology of the disease. Breast cancer is often undiscovered for several years, so taking three or four weeks to make an informed decision will not make a difference in the severity of the disease, Masood said. - Get a second opinion A second opinion is the No. 1 step that anyone diagnosed with a breast disease should take. “Let somebody else take a look at that breast cancer,” Masood said, adding that this stage is where pathologists play a significant role.
“We have changed the surgical therapy of many patients in this community. We have saved a lot of breasts in this community. We don’t always say it that way, but we have been able to do that.” Accurate diagnosis is the first step. There are a lot of look-alikes in breast pathology and it is always worth the benefit of having someone else take a look at it and provide that second interpretation of the results, Masood said. - Find personalized care No two women are the same. Nor are two cases of breast cancer. Women need to find care they are comfortable with and choose physicians that explain all of the options, along with potential treatments and risks. Developing a treatment plan is like putting a puzzle together, Masood said, based on the type of cancer, the health of the individual and other factors that are unique to each woman.
- Understand it can be cured When detected early, breast cancer can be a curable disease. To that extent, breast cancer is really regarded as a chronic disease, Masood said, rather than a fatal one. A very small percentage of breast cancers are high-grade and aggressive and lead to mortality from breast cancer.
“Right now, with the advances in science and what we know, we have the ability to separate those cancers that behave well and don’t compromise a person’s life, versus those cancers that do,” she said.
There was a time when if you had breast cancer, you had to remove the breast and all of the lymph nodes under your arm, Masood said. Not today. With early breast cancers, patients can typically benefit from just removing the tumor and following that with some form of radiation therapy. Removing all the axillary lymph nodes is no longer necessary for the majority of breast cancer cases.
“Taking the breast casually and relying on the promise of reconstructive surgery for less-than-necessary conditions is something that we need to think twice about,” Masood said. - Know if you’re at a higher risk
In 3 to 5 percent of breast cancer cases, people carry a gene that makes them more susceptible to breast or ovarian cancer. Testing can be done in advance to assess the risk, particularly for people with two or more immediate relatives with breast cancer or a case of male breast cancer in the family. If a woman is carrying the gene, she and her physician can then discuss the best form of preventative treatment. In some extreme cases, that could be removing the breasts and ovaries. Most times, Masood said, it’s more frequent check-ups, mammograms, and MRIs. “The key is to know what you could be dealing with and make an informed decision after learning the facts and consulting with your family and physicians,” Masood said.
Public Forums
Masood will host the following public forums during the month of October:
Date: Tuesday, Oct. 4
Event: “Public Forum on Breast Cancer Awareness”
Time: 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Location: Scan Design, 8206 Philips Highway, Suite 17
For more information: Call (904) 244-4387 to RSVP.
Date: Tuesday, Oct. 11
Event: “What Everyone Should Know About Breast Health”
Masood will host the event and three professors and doctors from across the Southeast will also be on the panel.
Time: 5:30 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Location: Omni Jacksonville Hotel, 245 Water St.
For more information: Dinner will be served at the free event, but an RSVP is required. Call (904) 244-4387.
Date: Friday, Oct. 14
Event: “Think Pink: Lunch and Learn”
Time: 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Location: Florida Times-Union, 1 Riverside Ave.
For more information: The free event is limited to 85 people. Call (904) 359-4570.
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