October marks National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and support increases

Valdes persevered and collected the required signatures, forming the first breast cancer support group in the hospital. The volunteer-led group, which meets once a month, recently celebrated its 22nd anniversary in September. Valdes, the co-chair, said she did not want other breast cancer patients to "go through what I've experienced," which is why she continues to participate in daily life. She also sees the group as a way to give back to her hometown.

"I was looking to help someone else in this community," she said.

"There were no options"

Josephine Wiskowski, a long-time member of the support group, is approaching the 28th anniversary of her breast cancer diagnosis. Like Valdes, she recalled the whirlwind process. There was only one plan of action available. She had a biopsy confirming the diagnosis. She recalled that the doctor had told her, "Oh, you have cancer, and that's what we're going to do."

"And that's all," said Wiskowski. "Then he goes out, there were no options."

Two weeks later she had a double mastectomy.

The monthly support group, in addition to providing fellowship to breast cancer patients and their families, regularly hosts presentations on many aspects of care and general health. Through her participation in the group, Wiskowski was able to learn about the progress made in the treatment of breast cancer. And she is amazed.

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"Now you have so many options," she said. "It's just a different world when I come to these meetings."

Lynn van Pelt Fletcher, director of the Memorial Cancer Center, said she often met women who, after being diagnosed with breast cancer, wanted a mastectomy as soon as possible. But, according to a person's medical case, there are often other options for successful treatment, unlike what was happening a few decades ago.

"If you have leg cancer, would you like to cut your leg?" she says. "Do you want to take off your arm?"

For example, lumpectomies – a surgical procedure to remove only the cancerous tumor and a small amount of surrounding healthy tissue – are often possible. Sometimes an oncologist will recommend administering chemotherapy to reduce the size of the tumor before surgery.

Even in cases where a mastectomy is performed, the risk of breast cancer is not entirely eliminated, Fletcher said.

What causes breast cancer?

In the United States, about one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during her lifetime, according to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. It is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women and the second most common type of cancer death among women.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is a long list of risk factors for breast cancer, many of which are beyond the control of women. These include age, inherited genes (BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations), dense breasts made up of more connective tissue than adipose tissue, and a family history of breast cancer. Obesity and alcohol consumption are other risk factors under the control of a person.

Although a woman may have a gene identified with a higher breast cancer risk or a history of cancer risk in the family, it does not mean that she will necessarily develop breast cancer, a said Susan Minsaas, director of the oncology department at MountainView Regional Medical Center. A common misconception, she said, is "My mother had it, I'm going to have it … Or, my mother did not have it, I'm not going to get it." 39; have ". But this is not a guarantee.

It is important for women to discuss family medical history and lifestyle factors with their family doctor or gynecologist, Minsaas said.

Health experts have stated that women can undertake a monthly breast self-examination to look for any changes.

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Changes in appearance and sensation of the breast should be noted. Women should look for "any bumps or bumps new to you", as well as any skin irritations or dimpling, said Minsaas. The redness or drainage of the nipple may also be red flags.

"These are things you want your doctor to check," she said.

A doctor may choose to have a mammogram for any breast changes reported by a patient who triggers a red flag.

Men also face the risk

Breast cancer, like other cancers, begins when normal cell division of the body goes awry. If nothing is done, a tumor can develop and cancer cells can spread or metastasize to other parts of the body.

According to cancer.org, about 33 in every 100,000 women in the United States will die of the disease in 2018.

There is also a slight risk of getting breast cancer in men because they also have breast tissue. About 480 men will die of the disease throughout the country this year.

"Everything about men's breasts is the same – it's just less," Fletcher said.

According to NBCF, breast cancer most often begins in so-called "lobules" (milk-producing tissues) or in the milk ducts. These are known as lobular carcinoma and ductal carcinoma, respectively. Less frequently, the disease affects fibrous and stromal "stromal" breast tissue.

Jennifer Ryder Fox of Las Cruces was diagnosed in May 2017 with breast cancer after the appearance of a red flag during a preventive mammogram. She knew that she had a risk factor: a dense breast tissue. But she said that it was psychologically difficult to accept the diagnosis.

"I was convinced that I did not have cancer, even though I had passed the screening mammogram, the diagnostic mammogram and the biopsy, I was convinced that it would not happen," he said. Ryder Fox, another member of the support group.

Several other breast cancer survivors have agreed that denial is a common response to a shocking diagnosis.

But by the time the realization was installed, Ryder Fox plunged wholeheartedly into the treatment. She chose to seek treatment at the MMC Cancer Center, instead of going to a hospital in another city, as some patients do, after learning about the quality of her degrees. . The first doctor she saw was a surgeon who had inserted a "port" into her skin. It is a small metal or plastic disc that allows chemotherapy injection. The surgeon left her confused about her likely treatment – the communication, she said, could be improved – and directed her to an oncologist.

The oncologist gave her an option on how to proceed: she could undergo chemotherapy before her lumpectomy or thereafter. But, while she had the choice, he recommended the first.

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Ryder Fox also had a choice as to the strength or toxicity of the chemotherapy to receive. She chose the highest level of toxicity – something she does not regret. It turned out that the cancer was larger than expected by doctors and had spread to some nearby lymph nodes.

"If I had not taken the most rigorous chemotherapy – and that had hit me on the back – I would always guess: if I had done the strongest?" she says.

The first lumpectomy did not rule out all the cancerous growth – a disappointment for Ryder Fox.

The experts said that surgeons who perform a lumpectomy try to cut a margin of healthy cells around the cancer cells. This reduces the risk of regrowth of the tumor from abandoned cancer cells.

Ryder Fox then had another choice: she could opt for a mastectomy or a second lumpectomy, also called "new excision". She chose the latter who succeeded. Surgeries left him with a major scar.

"What surprised me was that the surgeon told me," I can not see the tumor, "she said." I assumed that it was a piece of necrotic tissue just sitting there and ready to be removed. "

Rather, the size and location of the tumor are identified by imaging. And a procedure called needle thread localization – in which a needle is used to precisely locate cancer – takes place before surgery.

When to get a projection

Screening and timing of mammograms has been the subject of national and international debate in recent years. Many breast cancer organizations and health professionals still advise that screenings take place.

According to cancer.org, women aged 40 to 45 "should have the choice" to start an annual mammogram, while women aged 45 to 54 should have one each year. Women 55 years of age and older can go to mammography every two years or continue screening once a year.

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Some critics of regular screening mammograms have included that they can generate false positives or lead to over-treatment of problems that can be solved by themselves.

In August, a Danish university published a study concluding that screening mammograms did not improve the survival rates of women with breast cancer. Rather, researchers have determined that improved survival rates in recent years were due to better cancer treatments.

Meet a "benefactor"

In January of this year, Ryder Fox had completed chemotherapy and was scheduled to begin radiation in February. She was traveling to the MMC Cancer Center with her husband for a periodic checkup, when she noticed a woman folding brochures in the lobby. His initial thought was cynical: "There are volunteers who do good at the cancer center, is not it wonderful?"

But when Ryder Fox checked, her husband went to talk to the woman. It turned out that it was Valdes, who was preparing the material for the next meeting of a support group. Ryder Fox's husband had recognized Valdes as someone with whom he had attended an art school in the 1970s. Quickly, Valdes invited Ryder Fox to the next meeting.

Ryder Fox admitted that she was not excited about this idea.

"I had thought to myself, I do not need to be part of a support group for breast cancer because it will be just a bunch of women sitting around moaning to About "Why me? "" She says. "It's a bit like that that I justified in my mind that I did not need the support group."

But Ryder Fox quickly learned the subject of the January meeting: radiation. She had not started radiation therapy yet and wanted to know more about what to expect. She has returned since, missing only a few meetings because of travel.

Wiskowski, a breast cancer survivor and a long-time participant at the meeting, said people often think sessions will be full of sadness. But it is the opposite. She recounted the moment when a breast cancer patient once stood at the door, not knowing if she wanted to attend for the first time. But after seeing the other participants from far away laughing and drinking coffee, his reserves are gone.

Survivor's life

Rosalinda Gonzalez, from Las Cruces, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2001. She is a nurse herself and may remember seeing medical images of the disease.

"It was white," Gonzalez said. "It was in the ducts, so it was extended."

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Josephine Wiskowski, Jennifer Ryder Fox, Bernadette Valdes and Rosalinda Gonzalez, members of the Breast Cancer Support Group at the Memorial Medical Center, spoke about their cancer trials and their participation in the group on September 5th at the Memorial Cancer Center. (Photo: Josh Bachman / Sun-News,)

Gonzalez also had a shock. Throughout the treatment process, she was supported by her sister and encouraged by her colleagues. His sister accompanied him to all his medical appointments and was by his side in the examination room. When Gonzalez's doctor discusses the details of the treatment, Gonzalez would not remember much. But his sister would come back on the news.

In fact, many breast cancer patients have recommended to a family member or friend to attend examinations and checkups as a lawyer. It's also a good idea to take notes, they said.

In addition to surgery, Gonzalez has undergone four cycles of chemotherapy. She had no radiation. Six years later, she also took medicine to prevent the recurrence of cancer. Seventeen years later, she still has no cancer. But she admits that even small pains in her body cause her to think, "Is it coming back?"

"It's always in your mind," she says.

On the recommendation of a family member, Gonzalez started attending the support group meetings. She said the band was "phenomenal".

Ryder Fox, meanwhile, is taking part in a clinical trial, taking a certain drug to evaluate its effectiveness in preventing recurrence of breast cancer. The treatment of breast cancer has come a long way because women have already participated in similar trials, she said. And she is grateful for this opportunity.

Fundraising for research

Fletcher is also chairman of Cowboys for Cancer Research – a group that for decades has raised funds for cancer research.

The organization held its 36th annual Roping, Cowboys Cancer Research Team, in mid-September. This was preceded by a golf tournament in late August. The group's annual dinner and dance will take place on October 5th at the Las Cruces Convention Center.

Tickets for both events are $ 100 each and are available at Horse N Hound Feed Supply N, 991 W. Amador Ave. Dance tickets only cost $ 10 each and can be purchased at the door. The dance, featuring the Delk band, starts at 8:30 pm. That day.

Fletcher said the group's fundraising benefits a variety of cancer research. However, some of the funds raised helped researchers from the State University of New Mexico and the University of New Mexico identify a new gene presenting a risk of breast cancer.

Progress is fast, said Fletcher.

"You do not know what we will know next year," she said.