As we honor Breast Cancer Awareness Month, what would you like women to be aware of?
During times of economic difficulty, increased stress, and competing tasks for women, they really need to take care of themselves. We have a lot of tremendous new advances, but not everyone can equally access them. This is one thing that the Smilow Cancer Hospital Network is working towards; making sure that everyone can benefit from some of these great new advances in the field.
What are some ways that we can work to improve education for prevention and screening of breast cancer, and access to cancer care for diverse populations?
A priority of Smilow Cancer Hospital is to make sure that everyone is able to come here, or to one of our Care Centers, to receive care. It really begins with the individual advocating for themselves though. Making sure they get the appropriate screening, making sure concerns are addressed, and asking to be referred to an NCI-designated cancer center where they can benefit from clinical research opportunities.
How important are clinical trials in the advancement of care for patients? What should patients know about current trials that are available?
Clinical trials are essential to improving outcomes for breast cancer. They are helpful for people with complicated or advanced cancers in terms of providing novel therapies, but also in reducing toxicities of standard therapy. There are clinical trials now known as de-escalation trials that are looking not to add therapy, but to lessen the amount of therapy that is given. There are trials available where women who would normally receive chemotherapy are offered an alternative option, therefore reducing toxicity.
Screening is a critical part of women’s health and early detection of cancer. For women who have no history of breast cancer and are hesitant to get screened, how would you encourage them to reconsider?
While mammography is not perfect (it does miss some cancers) it is the best option for women who are asymptomatic and at normal risk to detect cancer early. For women who are at higher risk, or who have symptoms such as a lump or abnormal appearance of the breast, a yearly mammogram is not where they should enter. They need to seek attention as soon as possible and not wait, and that is the difference between screening and diagnosis. The state of Connecticut is mindful of breast density as a risk for cancer and that it may make a mammogram less sensitive. They mandate that patients are notified if they have increased breast density and inform them that additional testing is recommended, such as a breast ultrasound or MRI. It is important to speak to your doctor if you have any questions or concerns.