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YOUNG AND FIGHTING
Battling Breast Cancer in Your 20s and 30s
Battling breast cancer is not just a reality for older women. There's a hidden demographic of women in their 20s and 30s who know the disease first-hand, Keith McGilvery reports.
Battling breast cancer is not just a reality for older women. There's a hidden demographic of women in their 20s and 30s who know the disease first-hand, Keith McGilvery reports.
Walkers and Runners Raise Funds
to Stomp Out Breast Cancer
While leaves are turning red and orange across New England, much of Boston is turning pink. October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and events across the city highlight efforts to fight the disease.
The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure and the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk are two of the Commonwealth’s largest efforts to raise funds to support breast cancer patients and research towards a cure.
Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure’s Massachusetts Affiliate’s Executive Director, Miriam May says the goal of events like hers are simple, “The money we raise (today) goes to work here in Massachusetts for screening, education, and treatment and to really help solve the problem of this disease.”
This year more than 4,200 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and almost 1,000 women will die from the disease in Massachusetts alone. More than 6,000 people turned out for the Sept. 23 race at the UMASS Boston campus and May says the event raised nearly $1 million.
Breast cancer survivor and support group member Lorraine Salter says the funds raised at both events are making a tangible difference in the lives of women with breast cancer. Salter says the money raised helped support research for breast cancer drugs like Herceptin. The drug was vital in saving her sister-in law’s life, “Five years earlier she would never have made it and she is still alive today because of that drug; these funds are spearheading that effort.”
On Oct. 14th, the race for a cure continued at the annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event, but it did not slow down their fight against the disease or their fundraising. The American Cancer Society says about 40,000 people turned out at the Charles River Esplanade for their event that raised $3.25 million. While both groups share a mission to fight breast cancer it doesn’t mean that there isn’t a bit of a rivalry between them, “This is Making Strides. No mention of Komen (Race for the Cure),” joked Marisa Connolly, a member of the American Cancer Society’s communications staff while introducing herself.
This rivalry does not bother Making Strides volunteer Monique Jemmott. Jemmott says a little competition is okay as long as breast cancer funding and awareness is at the core, “I think it is very important, and I think it is something that should be shouted from the rooftops (the need for a cure), really. We may not have been here the earliest and we may not have raised the most money, but we’re here and I think it says a lot about how we feel about the cause.”
Massachusetts lawmakers have set aside $12 million in funding for breast and cervical cancer research and treatment in this year’s state budget. Organizers for both Making Strides and the Race for the Cure say they work year-round to fight breast cancer but that they will be back next fall to top this year’s fundraising totals.
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Frequently Asked Questions about breast cancer
- What is breast cancer?
- How common is breast cancer in women under 40?
- What is the survival five-year survival rate of young women with breast cancer?
- How often should young women go for clinical breast exams?
- When should I begin breast self-exams?
- Why is breast cancer often harder to recognize in older women?
- Where can I find more information on breast cancer in young women?
- Can I have kids after breast cancer?
- Are there things I can do to prevent breast cancer?
- How is breast cancer treated?
1. What is breast cancer?
Breast cancer occurs when breast tissue divides and multiplies abnormally. Roughly 85 percent of breast cancers are located in the mammary ducts. Tumors tend to grow slowly in the breasts and could be as much as 10 years old when they are discovered.
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2. How common is breast cancer in women under forty?
Less than 30 percent of breast cancer patients are under 40. This year, more than 11,000 women under 40 will be diagnosed with breast cancer.
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3. What is the survival rate of young women with breast cancer?
The five-year survival rate is 82%
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4. How often should young women go for clinical breast exams?
Women over 20 should see their doctor for a breast exam at least once every three years.
Women over 40 should have a clinical exam at least once a year. If women notice differences in their breasts they should contact their health care provider.
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5. When should I begin breast self exams?
Women should begin monthly breast exams beginning at age 20. The best time of the month to conduct the exam is immediately following your monthly period. The Susan G. Komen foundation provides a ho-w to guide to conducting a self-exam. It is available at www.komen.org/bse.
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6. Why is breast cancer often harder to find in younger women?
Breast cancer is often harder to recognize in young women because their breast tissue can be denser. The thicker breast tissue is, the hard it can be to find a lump.
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7. Where can I find more information on breast cancer in young women?
There are many resources for young women with breast cancer
American Cancer Society
1-800-ACS-2345
www.cancer.org
Young Survival Coalition
1-212-206-6610
www.youngsurvival.org
Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization
1-800-221-2141
www.y-me.org
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8. Can I have kids after breast cancer?
Most doctors say if you are still having a regular period, it is okay to have children after breast cancer. If you want to get pregnant following the disease, it is advised that you speak with your doctor.
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9. Are there things I can do to prevent breast cancer?
Dr. Steven Isakoff, a breast cancer specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital, says while there are no known definitive measures to avoid breast cancer, it is widely believed that a healthy weight and lifestyle are your best bet to avoid the disease.
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10. How is breast cancer treated?
Doctors treat breast cancer in a variety of ways. Surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and hormone therapy are a variety of methods used to treat breast cancer. Often multiple methods will be used in treating a patient. You should speak with your doctors to determine what kind of treatment is best for you.
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