The Arizona Republic - 10/19/2018 Copy Reduced to 79% from original to fit letter page Page : ZJ20

20 Z9 ❚ FRIDAY, 10.19.18 ❚ AZCENTRAL.COM

Why I’m optimistic in the war against breast cancer

Your Turn
Sherry Gage
Guest columnist
This month, we honor those we’ve lost
to breast cancer and we support family
and friends who are battling this insid-
ious disease by participating in walks,
runs and other charitable events dedicat-
ed to funding research, preventive edu-
cation, diagnosis, treatment and cure.
Celebrated internationally each Octo-
ber, Breast Cancer Awareness Month has
come a long way since the campaign
started in the mid-1980s.
The massive “pink movement” we’ve
seen over the years has made a tremen-
dous positive impact. A case in point: a
recent report from the American Cancer
Society finds that death rates from breast
cancer in the United States have plum-
meted 39 percent between 1989 and 2015.
That’s 322,600 deaths avoided during
those 26 years! This progress is attribut-
ed to improvements in early detection.
I have worked in oncology for many
years, and I’ve never been more optimis-
tic about what the future holds for wom-
en and men diagnosed with breast can-
cer. In addition to awareness campaigns
about the importance of screenings, ad-
vanced technologies are leading to more
accurate diagnoses so breast cancer can
be detected and treated in its earliest
stages.
Among these advancements are 3D
mammography, or tomosynthesis, dedi-
cated breast ultrasounds, breast MRIs
and stereotactic and ultrasound guided
biopsies. To complement these technol-
ogies is an even more concerted effort to
educate patients, families and care-
givers. This is crucial in treating the
whole patient.
The idea is that if patients understand
their diagnosis and care, they are more
capable of accepting the care needed and
maintaining family, work and social re-
quirements of their journey through can-
cer.
Some of the technologies we use at
Abrazo are well-known to patients, while
others still require a greater level of un-
derstanding. For example, I’m often
asked what the difference is between 3D
and 2D mammography.
Three-dimensional mammography
received FDA approval in 2011 and has
proven to increase the detection of early
stage breast cancer by up to 40 percent.
Patients often can’t tell the difference
during their screening, but a key benefit
of 3D mammography is its ability to de-
termine overlapping tissue that on 2D
could look like a suspicious area. In
short, 3D technology is more precise, al-
lowing physicians to view each layer of
tissue in the breast. This decreases the
likelihood of return visits for more tests.
While I’m thrilled with the success of
breast-cancer awareness campaigns, I
don’t want women to get complacent.
Screening should start at age 40, but
those with a family history may need to
be screened sooner. For women who are
at high risk or have been found to be pos-
itive for BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation,
screening should begin between the ages
of 25 and 30.
About 80 percent of breast cancers
occur in women with no family history or
known risk factors. Cancers in younger
women tend to be more aggressive, so
early detection is critical. As such, wom-
en should look for changes in their breast
exam and be their own advocate if they
suspect something is wrong.
One cancer that people don’t talk
about much is Inflammatory breast can-
cer. It’s rare, but it presents in a very sim-
ilar way to the much more common mas-
titis, so it may be treated first with antibi-
otics and then biopsy if the antibiotics
are not effective. In general, for all can-
cers, it’s important to watch for skin
thickening and firmness in the breast,
lumps and nipple retraction.
The progress of the pink movement is
undeniable. Still, women should be
proactive about knowing their breast
density and risk assessment value, and
no matter their schedule, make time to
get screened annually with 3D mammog-
raphy if possible.
Sherry R. Gage, RTRM, is director of
oncology services at Abrazo Central
Campus in Phoenix. For more informa-
tion, visit AbrazoHealth.com.

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