Br cncr awrns 2017

• JOIN THE FIGHT •

THINK

Pink!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month PUBLISHED BY

SOUTHERN LAKES NEWSPAPERS LLC OCTOBER 2017

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THINK PINK 2017

Sixteen people with metastatic breast cancer participated in the #ThisIsMBC Serenity Project to tell their stories through body painting and underwater photography.

Metastatic breast cancer patients tell their stories through

art&photography

FILE PHOTO Think Pink

hen most people think of breast cancer, they think of the pink movement, and often times, “beating” the cancer. A diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer, a late stage of the disease in which the cancer has spread beyond the breast, is different.

There is no cure and, until recently, the number of people living with MBC in the United States was basically unknown. A new study from the National Cancer Institute estimates more than 150,000 people are living with metastatic breast cancer.

Although the MBC population is larger than ever before, an estimated 17 percent increase from 2000 to 2010, the implication is positive as it means people are living longer in spite of their diagnosis and sheds light on the increased need for more services and research focused on MBC. The NCI study brings attention to a growing community of people with MBC whose meaningful lives and stories are largely unheard. To give voice to those living with MBC and bring to life the reality of living with MBC, #ThisIsMBC Serenity Project was created by METAvivor, an organization dedicated to funding research focused on the metastatic breast cancer, in partnership with Eisai

THINK Pink!

BREAST CANCER AWARENESS 2017 A publication of Southern Lakes Newspapers LLC 1102 Ann St., Delavan, WI 53115 • (262) 728-3411

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Inc. #ThisIsMBC Serenity Project uses art to empower people with MBC to share their experiences, educate others about this disease and encourage donations for more MBC research.

“The metastatic community really wants to be involved in research. The more people we can educate about metastatic disease, the more money we can raise for research that will ultimately help us to live longer and better-quality lives,” said Leslie Falduto, who lives with metastatic breast cancer and participated in the project.

“Participating in #ThisIsMBC Serenity Project was a very powerful moment for me. I felt confident. I felt like art. I felt good about what I was doing for my community and I felt good about myself.”

The 16 people living with MBC chosen to participate in #ThisIsMBC Serenity Project tell their stories through the powerful and artful combination of body painting and underwater photography.

Created by Ren and Keith Dixon, a married couple who have both lost loved ones to metastatic breast cancer, the storytelling begins in an interview with Ren Dixon, the body painting artist. After discussing their MBC experience, Ren visually represents each person’s experiences through the use of vivid color and symbols painted directly on their body. Next, Keith Dixon captures the mood and emotion of the patient’s personal journey through underwater photography.

“It is important for women and men to see that you can live a life, a fruitful and loving life, with metastatic breast cancer,” said project participant Sheila

McGlown. “I think #ThisIsMBC Serenity Project brought out the boldness in me.

It allowed me to express myself and my life experiences in a way I never thought I would be able to and it made me proud proud of being a voice for young women, proud of being a voice for AfricanAmerican women, proud of being a voice for veterans and proud of being a voice for the breast cancer community.”

From July 2017 to October 2018, one patient a month will be showcased, through images and video from the photoshoot, on MBCinfocenter.com and METAvivor’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts (@metavivor). The images will also be featured at an art gallery reception in New York City and made into a calendar.

The calendars are available for free with a donation to METAvivor, which can be made at www.metavivor.org/ store/. Donations will go to METAvivor to support research specifically for metastatic breast cancer.

A fundamental component of #ThisIsMBC Serenity Project is the belief that women and men with MBC should live their lives as fully as possible and take advantage of all resources available to them. Many educational resources and helpful information about metastatic breast cancer exists at MBCinfocenter.com.

To support METAvivor’s ongoing commitment to funding MBC research, which could help those living with this disease, consider making a contribution at secure.metavivor.org.

Brought to you by Eisai Inc.

(BPT)

THINK PINK 2017

Carol Neumann is a registered dietitian at Aurora Memorial Hospital in Burlington credits new technology offered at Aurora Health Care – Southern Lakes, also in Burlington, to the early detection of her breast cancer.

She also said being a patient gave her a deeper appreciation to the team approach to cancer care at Aurora.

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Having gone through this gave me a much deeper level of respect and understanding of the care and support that’s here.

– CAROL NEUMANN, AURORA EMPLOYEE AND PATIENT

appreciation

HEATHER RUENZ Think Pink!

Early detection, team approach provide reassurance to Aurora employee

By Heather Ruenz STAFF WRITER

arol Neumann, a registered dietitian at Aurora Memorial Hospital in Burlington, has supported cancer patients through classes and support groups for years. She recently found herself in an unfamiliar role as a patient.

Neumann, of Spring Prairie, had her yearly mammogram appointment scheduled for last October but had to cancel it.

“I rolled the lawnmower so (I)delayed the appointment until December. That allowed me to have the 3D mammogram right here in Burlington. Thank God I did because they found a spot and told me they wouldn’t have with the conventional test. It was caught early,” she said.

The 3D mammography, by Hologic, was done at Aurora Health Center – Southern Lakes. Neumann next underwent a diagnostic mammogram, which showed a defined lump. An ultrasound was done and that led to a biopsy being ordered.

Dr. Joseph Majewski, a general surgeon at Aurora for 36 years, performed the biopsy and sent the samples out for a pathology report.

Neumann, who had a bout with cancer 15 years earlier, said she feared the worst.

“Having had it before raised that suspicion. As the years pass after having

cancer, the fears lessen but once something crops up your thoughts immediately go there,” she said.

Her suspicions were correct – she had cancer.

Dr. Syed Haider, Neumann’s oncologist, said the new technology is better at picking up invasive cancer but also helps avoid false alarms.

“Studies also show 3D mammography bumps up cancer detection by about 40 percent but it also reduces the number of repeat tests patients need. We’re excited about it because we’ll miss less cancer but also do fewer tests,” Haider said.

Dr. Joe Majewski (left), a general surgeon at Aurora Health Care, and Dr. Syed Haider, an oncologist, are part of the team that handled employee Carol Neumann’s cancer case.

The team approach to cancer care involves any of several medical staff, from doctors to nurse navigators meeting to determine the best course of treatment for a cancer patient.

The team approach A meeting between the medical staff assigned to Neumann’s case – Majewski, Haider, a research study representative, a radiology nurse practitioner and a cancer nurse navigator – was held.

“They laid out the plan and the research study they wanted me to go into. They explained their roles and the nurse navigator explained that she’s available as the goto person. I used her a lot but all of them reassured me I could also go to each of them directly,” she said.

Leann Kuhlemeyer, one of the cancer nurse navigators at Aurora, said her role is

See EARLY DETECTION, Page 4

SUBMITTED PHOTO Think Pink

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THINK PINK 2017

Fighting cancer with clinical trials

About 1.7 million Americans will be diagnosed with cancer this year. If you or someone you care about is among them, you need to know all your options as that’s the best way to approach your cancer treatment.

For many types of cancer, clinical trials may offer the best treatment options at every stage of diagnosis and treatment.

Patients who participate are highly monitored throughout the process, and receive equal if not better care to the standard treatment options.

There are thousands of clinical trials across the United States that offer advanced treatment options. Clinical trials can hold the key to a successful treatment plan for many patients. That is why it is important for patients to access clinical trials, and to discuss them as a treatment option with their doctors.

To date, finding and accessing a clinical trial has been a difficult and confusing process for patients and physicians. Now innovation is helping to make that easier.

There’s a company that works one-on-

• Early detection

one with people diagnosed with cancer to identify their clinical trial options more efficiently.

The team at Cure Forward works with patients to learn about their specific diagnosis and identify their best clinical trial options. They then connect patients one-on-one with a Clinical Trial Navigator who helps them gather the medical and personal information needed to be matched to clinical trials.

Clinical Trial Navigators work directly with each patient through every step of the process, from understanding clinical trials to identifying which ones may be the best fit, so patients can discuss and determine the best course of action for their illness with their physician.

Unlike scouring the internet on their own, patients are provided only information on trials that are relevant for their unique cancer and that are the best matches for their personal needs.

For more information about clinical trial options, go to www.cureforward.com.

(NAPS)

FILE PHOTO Think Pink

Clinical trials may offer the best possible treatment for a person’s cancer.

(Continued from page 3)

to partner with patients and their families by providing support, advocacy and education based on their individual needs.

“I make sure they have the information and access to resources they need to be confident with their decisions, which encourages them to play an active role in their cancer journey,” Kuhlemeyer said.

Majewski and Haider discussed the team approach at Aurora, which they referred to as multidisciplinary cancer care.

“The entire medical team that will be involved meet and discuss what we think is the best approach to take care of this particular patient,” Majewski said.

“The main difference from what we used to do is that in the past each doctor would make those decisions alone and the patient would go to the first doctor, then the second doctor, and so on. The multi disciplinary approach also reduces stress on the patient because they know the team has come up with this plan together,” Haider said.

Neumann was also connected with a “cancer buddy.”

“Having someone that’s had cancer is wonderful,” she said. “It ended up being someone I knew that I didn’t realize had had cancer.”

Neumann said her husband, Jeff, is very supportive, however, “guys can’t truly understand having a female cancer. Breast cancer is very personal.”

Following surgery – a partial lumpectomy – the type of cancer Neumann had was determined to be hormone receptor. But it had not spread to the lymph nodes and the margins were clean, meaning the surrounding tissue did not show any cancer, which she attributed to early detection.

Neumann did not need chemotherapy, however, she did require radiation, which was done in Kenosha, to kill any potential microscopic cancer cells, which can’t be detected.

“Having a positive attitude is so important but the welcoming atmosphere and smiles of those in the radiation unit was also great. It could have been very uncomfortable but they made sure it wasn’t at all,” she said.

Two weeks following her final radiation treatment, Neumann began a medication to block the hormones, which she’ll take for five years.

New insight into care Neumann said despite having worked at Aurora for 31 years, including spending significant time with cancer patients, she gained a new appreciation for her employer’s approach to cancer care because of her personal experience.

“The doctors always explained things in simple-to-understand terms, what they were going to do and why,” she said. “All of the doctors and nurses giving me the confidence and support that everything would be OK – and was being done the right way – was so important.”

She said her doctors also answered all of her husband’s questions – he had thought of different questions than she had – as well as making sure he was comfortable with, and

understood, every step of her treatment.

Haider said patients are naturally worried about themselves but also about their family members.

“It has a deep, psychological impact on several people. Being reassuring to the patient and their loved ones about the course of treatment is very important,” Haider said.

Majewski said one of the many positives about the team approach is that it can lessen the weight of a cancer diagnosis.

“I think it helps the patient, right from the start that they have all of the people involved in their care working together,” Majewski said.

Haider said it’s also vital as a doctor to deal with the psychological side of a cancer diagnosis because patients often think the

worst.

“Now, more often than not, cancer is curable. Carol needed to hear that, yes, this was cancer and a bump in the road, but she was going to be fine,” Haider said.

Neumann said she’s always believed in, and respected the care Aurora gives but now does so even more.

“Having gone through this gave me a much deeper level of respect and understanding of the care and support that’s here. It’s also given me the insight to help others I know who are going through tests and treatment,” she said.

For more information about Aurora Health Care – Southern Lakes, 709 Spring Valley Rd., Burlington, visit aurorahealthcare.org or call (262) 767-6020.

This comparison provided by Hologic 3D mammography, shows a malignancy easily missed with conventional 2D mammography (left panel) that can clearly be seen with the Hologic 3D technology, currently in use at Aurora Health Care – Southern Lakes in Burlington.

SUBMITTED IMAGE Think Pink

THINK PINK 2017

Know the facts on breast cancer

U.S. statistics

• 246,660 women and 2,600 men are diagnosed with invasive breast cancer each year.

• 54,000 additional women are estimated to be diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ*, a noninvasive cancer where abnormal cells have been found in the lining of the breast milk duct.

• 40,890 women and men die from breast cancer each year.

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Even women who are a picture of health can develop breast cancer, highlighting the importance women must place on recognizing and detecting the symptoms of this often curable disease.

Wisconsin statistics

• 4730 women are diagnosed with invasive breast cancer annually • 1048 additional women are diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ.* • Wisconsin incidence rates are about 2 points higher than the national average, however 15 Wisconsin counties have rates significantly higher than the national average • 710 women die from breast cancer annually • Wisconsin mortality rates are about 1.2 point lower than the national average; however, the disparity in mortality rates between black and white women in Wisconsin are among our nation’s highest and it is trending higher.

More facts

• While there are slightly fewer regional breast cancers, and many more localized breast cancers, the rate of truly lethal metastatic breast cancer at initial diagnosis has not changed since 1975.

There is no cure for metastatic breast cancer.

• Between 2000 and 2007, mortality rates decreased at about 1.9 percent per year. The slight decrease is attributed to such factors as reduced use of hormone replacement therapy, behavioral changes, earlier detection and improved treatments.

• The much advertised “five-year survival rate” is not a measure of progress. Survival rates are skewed by screening – the more you screen, the more you find. These women are all counted as being alive at five years, including women who are in treatment at five years and the sizable percentage of women whose cancer will recur after five years. Evidence suggests that many women would not have died within the first five-year timeframe, even if they had not been screened.

• Twenty to 30 percent of women diagnosed with invasive breast cancer will have a recurrence of disease.

• It is estimated that no more than 55 percent of breast cancer is explained by risk factors so far identified. The majority appear to be a combination of various physical, environmental and genetic factors.

• An estimated 30 percent of all breast cancers (both invasive and DCIS) are considered to be over diagnosed and over treated. (The more we screen, the more we find, the more we treat – with a likelihood that many breast cancer might not have needed treatment.)

The bottom line

Screening for breast cancer is necessary and the best tool available right now; however it does not prevent breast cancer, it only finds it, and finding it does not guarantee that a life has been saved. * Ductal carcinoma in situ rates have increased dramatically due to increased screening since 1980. DCIS is a “pre-cancer” confined to the ducts of the breast. Since it is not possible to know if DCIS will become invasive, many women are treated with interventions (surgery/radiation) that they may not need and which may cause long term morbidities.

Source: The Wisconsin Breast Cancer Coalition, www.wibreastcancer.org.

Knowing &recognizing

FILE PHOTO Think Pink

the signs of breast cancer may save your life As with many types of cancer, breast cancer is most successfully treated when it is detected early. Over the previous quarter century, death rates for breast cancer have been on the decline, a positive development that Breastcancer.org, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing reliable, complete and up-to-date information about breast cancer, suggests is a byproduct of the heightened awareness of breast cancer over the last 25 years and the increasing emphasis placed on breast cancer screening.

Understanding the symptoms of breast cancer also can help women battle and defeat this potentially deadly disease. While the presence of any of the following symptoms does not necessarily mean breast cancer is present, the appearance of the following should be enough to inspire women and even men to visit their physicians for thorough examinations and screenings.

Changes in the feeling of the breast or nipple

A change in how the breast or nipple feels could be indicative of a larger problem. If the nipple is especially tender and this persists for an extended period of time, exercise caution and discuss this change with your physician. Similarly, if a lump or thickening develops on or near the breast or underarms, speak with your physician.

Changes in appearance of the breast

A lump or thickening in the breast may affect the appearance of the breast. Another visible symptom of breast cancer is a change in the skin texture or an enlargement of pores in the skin of the breast, which may appear similar to dimpling, not unlike an orange peel.

Swelling or shrinking of the breast, especially when such symptoms appear on just one breast, may also indicate breast cancer. In addition, some women with breast cancer notice a sudden asymmetry with their breasts despite their breasts previously being symmetrical, and such a development should immediately be brought to the attention of a physician.

Changes in the appearance of the nipple

A nipple that appears different also may be a sign of breast cancer. Some women with breast cancer have noticed a nipple turned slightly inward or inverted prior to their breast cancer diagnosis. Skin of the nipple, as well as that of the breast and areola, which is the dark circle of skin around the nipple, may also become red, scaly or swollen when breast cancer is present.

Clear or bloody discharge from the nipple

Women who are breastfeeding often notice a milky discharge from their nipple after breastfeeding. Such discharges are normal. However, when a woman who is not breastfeeding notices the presence of a clear or bloody discharge from her nipple, such a development should be brought to the attention of a physician.

Any of the aforementioned signs and symptoms may be a sign of infection or the presence of a cyst, both of which are less severe than the presence of breast cancer. But the success rates of treating cancers that are detected early are such that any potential symptom of breast cancer warrants an immediate discussion with a physician.

(METRO CREATIVE)

THINK PINK 2017

The shops of ROCHESTER are painting the town pink in support of

H 4T ual n An

Breast Cancer Awareness

Friday, Oct. 20

4:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Main Street in Rochester will be lit up in PINK. A great reason to get out with your friends. Come early and shop our unique shops, enjoy refreshments. Specials on gifts, fashions, home décor, beauty and well being.

Chinese Lantern Lighting by the Gazebo at the River at 7:40 p.m. with Prayer/Remembrance Service

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THINK PINK 2017

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Have

the

Talk Lifetime

of a SM

You You talk abouttalk many things with your loved ones. Breast Cancer Awareness should be one of them. Make it a habit of doing monthly self exams to detect any changes, schedule

about many things with your loved ones: from day-to-day details to big events. Sharing stories with those who matter most isn’t just important today; it will be especially significant time to honor and detection commemorate your lives. as prescribed by when yourit’s physician.

Early will give you the best prognosis

mammograms for a successful treatment of cancer.

Don’t yourthan lifeitbe cutto short; bereflect proactive.

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Meaningful memorialization starts when loved ones talk about what matters most: memories made, lessons learned and how they hope to be remembered.

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Surgery to remove unaffected breast varies greatly by state

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THINK PINK 2017

Nearly half of young women in five states with early-stage cancer in one breast undergo surgery for unaffected breast investigators from the American Cancer Society, Emory University, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Brigham and Women’s Hospital did a retrospective cohort study of 1.2 million women ages 20 and older who had been diagnosed with invasive unilateral early-stage breast cancer and treated with surgery from January 1, 2004, through December 31, 2012, in 45 states and the District of Columbia using data compiled by the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries.

Between 2004 and 2012, the proportion of patients who underwent a CPM nationally increased from 3.6 percent to 10.4 percent among women 45 and older and from 10.5 percent to 33.3 percent in those 20-44 years old.

While the increase was evident in all states, the magnitude of the increase varied substantially depending on the state. For example, among women ages 20 to 44, the proportion of CPM among women with unilateral early stage breast

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cancer and treated with surgery in New Jersey increased from 14.9 percent in 2004-2006 to 24.8 percent in 2010-2012, while in Virginia, the proportion tripled, from 9.8 percent to 32.2 percent.

Most strikingly, the proportion earlystage breast cancer patients age 20 to 44 receiving CPM in 2010-2012 were over 42 percent in the contiguous states of Nebraska, Missouri, Colorado, Iowa, and South Dakota.

From 2004 to 2012, the proportion of reconstructive surgical procedures among the women 20 to 44 increased in many states; however, that rise did not correlate with the proportion of women who received a CPM. “Interestingly, the highest proportions of young women undergoing reconstructive surgery among young women who had a CPM were geographically clustered in several Northeastern states (Massachusetts, Maine, New Jersey, Connecticut, New York, and Delaware) rather than in the Midwestern region where we observed the highest proportions of women who underwent a CPM,” write the authors.

“Several previous studies in the United States have reported an increase in the use of MRI and high-risk genetic testing among patients with breast cancer, coinciding with the increase in the proportion of patients undergoing a CPM nationally,” write the authors. “However, the use of MRI and high-risk genetic testing among women is unknown by state, and we were unable to assess their contributions to the state variation in the proportions of CPMs among women with breast cancer treated with surgery.”

“Future studies should examine patient-, clinician-, and health systemlevel factors to provide additional insight into the reasons for temporal changes and regional variation in the receipt of a CPM,” said Ahmedin Jemal, D.V.M., Ph.D., senior author and vice president of surveillance and health services research and the American Cancer Society. “In the meantime, however, surgeons and other health care professionals should educate their patients about the benefit, harm, and cost of a CPM to help patients make informed decisions about their treatments.”

For more information, visit cancer.org.

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FILE PHOTO Think Pink

A recent study found nearly half of young breast cancer patients in five states opt for a preventive mastectomy. Prophylactic mastectomies among patients with invasive breast cancer has increased substantially in the last decade.

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The proportion of women in the United States undergoing surgery for earlystage breast cancer who have preventive mastectomy to remove the unaffected breast increased significantly in recent years, particularly among younger women, and varied substantially across states.

A new study co-led by the American Cancer Society and published in JAMA Surgery finds nearly half of young breast cancer patients in five states undergoing the procedure.

The use of contralateral prophylactic mastectomies among patients with invasive unilateral breast cancer has increased substantially during the past decade in the United States, particularly for patients younger than 45, despite the lack of evidence for survival benefit. The reasons for this increasing pattern are unclear but are thought to include the fear of developing a second breast cancer and the desire for breast symmetry following reconstructive surgery.

To find out more about this trend,

THINK PINK 2017

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Researchers have found new ways to combat cancer, saving millions of lives and giving hope to newly diagnosed cancer patients.

Making progress

FILE PHOTO Think Pink

ADVANCES IN CANCER TREATMENT SAVING LIVES, STUDY SHOWS Significant advances against cancer have resulted in a steadily declining cancer death rate for Americans over the past 25 years, according to the seventh annual American Association for Cancer Research Cancer Progress Report.

The 2017 report, which provides an overview of the latest advances in cancer research, prevention and treatment, calls for robust government funding of biomedical research so that the research community can continue to make progress against cancer.

“This is an incredibly exciting time for the cancer community,” said Margaret Foti, Ph.D., M.D. (hc), chief executive officer of the AACR. “Research has fueled advances across the continuum of cancer care that are saving lives around the world, and we have the scientific knowledge and capability to deliver more lifesaving progress in the future.”

According to the report, the U.S. cancer death rate declined by 25 percent between 1991 and 2014. The cancer death rate for

children declined by 35 percent during the same time.

Numerous factors have contributed to improved survival, including earlier detection and many new treatment options.

In the past year alone, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved nine new anticancer drugs. Also, it expanded approval of eight previously approved drugs, allowing them to be used to treat additional types of cancer.

One of the approvals was for a drug for patients with any type of solid tumor containing a certain biomarker or genetic feature. All previous approvals had been based on the location of cancer in the body.

The drug, Keytruda (pembrolizumab), is an immunotherapeutic that has brought significant benefit to many patients, including former U.S. President Jimmy Carter.

AACR leaders cautioned that while new drug approvals and improving survival rates are signs of tremendous progress against cancer, there is still much work

to be done. More than 600,920 people in the United States are projected to die from cancer in 2017, and the number of new cases of cancer in the United States is predicted to rise from 1.7 million in 2017 to 2.3 million in 2030.

“Cancer continues to exert an immense personal and economic toll,” the authors wrote, adding that the burden is shouldered disproportionately by certain segments of the population, including racial and ethnic minorities, patients of lower socioeconomic status, residents of certain geographic locations, and the elderly. This gap, known as a health disparity, is an area of growing research.

To accelerate the pace of progress against cancer, the report calls for the United States government to support federal research funding for organizations including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the FDA. Specifically, the report asks Congress to increase the NIH budget by $2 billion to $36.2 billion in fiscal year 2018

and the FDA budget by $80 million to $2.8 billion.

The Beau Biden Cancer Moonshot, an initiative launched by former Vice President Joe Biden with the guidance of numerous AACR leaders, must also receive support as it takes aim at reducing the nation’s burden of cancer, the report said.

“As research has taught us more about the biology of cancer, we have been able to make incredible advances in cancer prevention and treatment that are saving lives today,” said Michael A. Caligiuri, M.D., president of the AACR and chief executive officer of the Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute in Columbus, Ohio.

“The opportunity to make more transformational breakthroughs will require a strong federal commitment to providing consistent, annual, aboveinflation increases in the budgets for the NIH, NCI and FDA,” Caligiuri added.

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THINK PINK 2017

Caring for someone with Cancer?

Here are a few tips and resources to help

If you’re caring for a loved one with cancer, it can often feel overwhelming, confusing and sometimes daunting. In fact, recent research has shown many people caring for someone with cancer experience depression and anxiety.

One survey also found that family caregivers can spend over eight hours per day providing care and that as this time increases, caregivers are spending less time on their own health, such as by not getting enough sleep and exercise.

Caring for someone with cancer, however, can be a rewarding experience – especially if caregivers are prepared with their own support system, information and resources.

The American Society of Clinical Oncology, an organization that represents the world’s premier cancer doctors, recognizes the important role caregivers play. It is important for cancer doctors to work with patients’ caregivers to ensure they feel well supported and informed, and that they remember to take care of their own health and well being.

Caregivers perform critical tasks such as giving medication, providing transportation to and from appointments, managing household duties, and supporting the patient emotionally.

Cancer.Net – ASCO’s free patient information website – offers tips, downloadable materials, and other

resources to help caregivers. Here are some top tips for family caregivers: • Remember, caregiving is a team effort.

Connect with other family members and friends, as well as the patient’s health care team, to get help and divide tasks.

• Be a problem solver. Identify problems, find out what is needed and follow through with a solution.

• Recognize your personal strengths and weaknesses in deciding what to do yourself and what tasks to get help with.

• Talk about your concerns with your loved one and his/her doctors and other members of the cancer care team.

• Seek out information and guidance.

There are many resources on the Internet and locally to help support family caregivers.

• Make sure to take time for yourself.

Taking care of your own emotional and physical health will make you a more effective caregiver.

“Caregivers are valuable partners in caring for patients,” said ASCO cancer expert Andrew Epstein, M.D. “Ensuring that caregivers are well supported should be an essential component of high-quality cancer care.”

For more information and free resources on caring for a loved one with cancer, visit www.Cancer.Net/Caregiving.

(NAPS)

FILE PHOTO Think Pink

When someone you care for has cancer, knowing a few facts can help both of you feel better.

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Page 11

From the doctor’s desk

Preventing cancer isn’t just my job – it’s my health, too! s a mom, a wife, a doctor, and the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, I’m pretty busy, as you can imagine. So it’s easy even for me to be tempted to put my health on the back burner.

As an oncologist, I know better. As the person looking out for my family’s health, I realize I have to practice what I preach— and that’s cancer prevention.

My 50th birthday was a great reminder that I needed some cancer screening tests.

Not just women, but everyone age 50 and older needs to get regularly screened for colorectal (colon) cancer. Almost all

colorectal cancers start as polyps, or abnormal growths in the colon or rectum.

Screening can help find these polyps so they can be removed before turning into cancer.

That’s right – screening can actually prevent

By Dr. Lisa C. cancer before it Richardson starts.

I also scheduled my mammogram.

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women, after skin cancer.

The risk of developing breast cancer

grows as women get older. Current recommendations are for women ages 50– 74 to get a mammogram (an X-ray picture of the breasts) every two years. Whether to screen for breast cancer before the age of 50 is one decision that women should make with their doctor.

There are several screening tests that we all need reminders of – for instance, I asked my doctor when my last Pap test was. Pap tests are recommended every three years for women ages 21 to 65, but there are other screening options, too. Here’s another example where screening and early detection can actually prevent cancer.

While not all cancers can be prevented, we can all take steps to help keep ourselves healthy. I urge you, if you smoke, to quit now – CDC offers free resources to help.

Lung cancer is the leading cancer killer in

women. If you are over 55 and a current smoker, or someone who has quit within the past 15 years, ask your doctor about lung cancer screening.

I’m also careful to protect my skin when I go outside. I remind my son that it’s easy to use sunscreen, wear protective clothes, or hang out in the shade when you can.

Nearly 5 million people are treated for skin cancer every year in the U.S. Skin cancer can be serious, expensive, and sometimes even deadly. Fortunately, most skin cancers can be prevented.

Just as I urge my friends, family, and neighbors to take action against cancer, I challenge you to do the same!

For more information about cancer screening and prevention, go to www.cdc. gov/cancer.

(NAPS)

In metastatic breast cancer, attitude and knowledge are power A diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer can turn a woman’s life upside down. The disease, also known as Stage IV breast cancer, occurs when cancer has spread beyond the breast to other parts of the body, including the bones, liver, lungs or brain MBC is not just one disease – there are many different subtypes and treatment options can vary depending on the subtype of each patient.

“Having an open, honest dialogue with my oncologist about my treatment plan and having a positive attitude have helped me feel empowered,” said Libby, a nurse manager and MBC patient from Ashland, Kentucky.

As someone who has cared for others throughout her career – and for her own husband battling dementia – Libby was devastated to learn in 2015 that the breast cancer she beat 16 years prior had spread to her lungs and become metastatic. She

appreciated her oncologist’s approach because he stayed focused on what they could do as a team to treat the cancer.

She discussed her diagnosis and the risks and benefits of treatment options with her oncologist, who prescribed an oral medicine called Ibrance (palbociclib) along with hormonal therapy called letrozole. Ibrance in combination with an aromatase inhibitor, such as letrozole, is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for women like Libby who have not received prior treatment for their metastatic disease, are postmenopausal and have a specific type of metastatic breast cancer that is estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) and human epidermal growth factor 2-negative (HER2-).

“Patients often face challenges upon receiving a metastatic breast cancer diagnosis. It’s important for both patients and caregivers to find support and

understand the treatment options available to them,” said Julia Perkins Smith, Senior Medical Director for Pfizer Oncology, the company that developed Ibrance.

For more stories about women living with MBC and to learn more about Ibrance, visit MBCtogether.com.

Libby offers the following insights to other women facing MBC: • Choose to make the most of today; • Find an oncologist/healthcare team who can fuel your own positive thinking; • Always talk to your doctor about which treatments may be right for your individual situation; and • Have a support system, including family, friends and co-workers.

“Tomorrow is not guaranteed and life does not come with a promise of good health or happiness. So, instead, I choose to focus on making the most of today.

After all, it’s up to us how we spend our time on this earth,” Libby said.

FILE PHOTO Think Pink

Libby is a wife, mother and nurse manager, who was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in 2015.

Page 12

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