At 34, Karin Stanford was a vegetarian and worked out on a regular basis. She was the picture of health, or so she thought. She felt a lump in her left breast, while preparing to go out one night.It turned out to be a malignant Stage IIA tumor. She had a lumpectomy, and today she is 46 and counting. Medical experts encourage women to get mammograms at 40. She shudders to think what could have happened had she not found the lump, or if she had waited until 40 to get a mammogram.
"What I urge black women to do is to get annual mammograms,'' Stanford says, "The sooner the better. The baseline age should be 35 [Some medical experts even say as early as 33]. And do your research. You have to do your own research.''
Stanford, Ph.D, is a professor of political science, at California State University in Northridge. She said Breast Cancer Awareness Month-October- is a particularly important platform to inform black women about the importance of breast health. While African-American women have a slightly lower incidence of breast cancer after age 40 than their white counterparts, they have a slightly higher incidence of breast cancer before reaching 40, according to the American Cancer Society, which is why Stanford's story is so important.
But African-American women are more likely to die from breast cancer at every age. The death rate can be attributed to a number of factors, including lack of affordable health care, experts say. Diet, exercise, genetics also have been taken into account for the mortality rate, but research is still being done to determine the impact of those factors. Also, ''high blood pressure accounts for some of the disproportionately higher mortality rates among African American women with breast cancer compared with their Caucasian counterparts,'' according to an article in the International Journal of Cancer.
Indeed, Dr. Leonidas G Koniaris, of the University of Miami, said African American women may consider earlier breast cancer screening, possibly between ages 33 and 35 because "It is at this age that the incidence of breast cancer in African American patients equals that for white women at 40, the suggested age to start screening, he said in an article in the May issue of the American College of Surgeons.
While the American Cancer Society recommends 40 for initial mammogram screening, Dr. Koniaris and his colleagues found different for African Americans after analyzing 63,472 breast cancer patients between 1998 and 2002 on a Florida cancer registry and inpatient hospital data. Of that number, 90.5 percent were white and 7.6 percent were African American, the article says. Researchers found that 10.5 percent of African Americans had breast cancer before the age of 40 years, and 22.4% before the age of 45 years. African American patients were also less likely to receive surgery.
"Based upon our study, African American women have a 1.72-fold increased risk of death from breast cancer," Dr. Koniaris told Reuters Health. "Approximately two-thirds of this excess risk is attributable to late stage presentation."
Stanford's personal experience drove her to write, 'Breaking the Silence: Inspirational Stories of Black Cancer Survivors,' the stories of 48 African Americans who have all had different forms of cancer, including breast, colon and lymphoma.
Today, Stanford is the proud mother of a 10-year-old girl, something doctors said could never happen because of the radiation she received from cancer treatment. "But my daughter is here and so am I.
"Doctors don't know why black women die from breast cancer more than our white counterparts, but all we can do is get checked,'' Stanford says. "Each year, I go for my check ups. You're always afraid of a reoccurrence, but you have to go. The worst thing you can do is not go for your check ups, the earlier the better, given our mortality rate.''
Comments: (9)
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By: ConcernedMom on 10/08/2009 12:56PM
My 15 yr old daughter had a Fibroadenoma removed on yesterday.It's been a scary but enlightening couple of weeks.Thank God, she found it herself.I taught her early that self-exams are important.I have learned that although benign, Fibroadenomas are common among black teenage females.The awareness needs to be turned up a notch.Her surgeon did two of the same surgeries on two black teenagers back to back on the same day.Pediatric annual exams should include teaching all teenagers about self exams, and black parents need to be educated on how popular Fibroadenomas are in Black teenagers. Although usually benign, it was explained to me that it should come out & that if it stayed it could potentially be cancerous later. We are a praying family, however, it was certainly frightening that my baby had to go through this.
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By: nett on 10/09/2009 1:36AM
It is always good to hear good story. I was dinosed with breast cancer in April. I nor my Dr could feel it, but I got a mammogram every and thats what fould it. I had a lumpectomy first then radition. they say it is gone I am still on meds. I have faith that every thing will work out. They found it in the early stage. If I did not get my check ups it could have been worse. S I advise all LADIES 35 and older check your breast, get your mammograms. It just might save your life.
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By: nett on 10/09/2009 10:45AM
sorry for some of the miss spell words and missing letters. i do not type good. Just wanted to share my story. To let women out there the importance of a check up.
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By: nett on 10/09/2009 10:45AM
LAST WORDS OF ADVISE.............................. 1. Check your bresats once a month. 2.Let a Dr. check them once a year. 3.Get a mammogram if you are of age. Starting age 35-40. These simple things may make a diffence between life o deaf. They made a differnce for me and many more breast cancer survivors.
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By: HSR0601 on 10/10/2009 11:14AM
My Proposal for Prevention Of Breast Cancer :
1. Routine check-up, mammogram.
2. Breast-feeding. It is also beneficial for affection toward children and EMOTIONAL STABILITY, immunity of them, let alone woman health.
3. Exercise to convert overnutrition to active energy. The diet remaining long in the body tends to be sources for germs, bacterias, viruses, and influenza etc to multiply.
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By: lmhj on 10/10/2009 8:48PM
Two yrs ago I was diagnosed with a malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor involving the sacrum. I underwent proton radiation therapy that has kept the tumor from growing; however, I suffer with chronic pain because nerves are entangled in the tumor. My tumor was found when the chiropractor ordered me to have a MRI of my pelvis because of lower pack pain. I suggest that all women request their physicians order extra MRIs and mammograms when they suspect an abnormality in their body. Learn as much as you can about your body and listen to what it is telling you. I had to include family, great friends, praying pastor, and church family while I dealt with the diagnosis and was backed up with the best medical teams in Florida.
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By: just saying on 10/12/2009 11:39AM
My sister was diagnosed with breast cancer at 16, and was advised to have breast removed. My mother refused, and advised us that all women have milk in their breast weather they had children or not, and should massage their breast often to prevent lumps occuring. My sister was mad at my mom, but today at 55, she has both her breast and is healthy. If she would have had her breast removed, she might been prone to believe she was saved from cancer. My doctors have continually encouraged me to have a mammogram which I always refused, because if I do have caner there is no cure, if I don't than they are only saying they will treat you in case you come across it later. I know we as people who are not doctors put our faith in their hands, but a lump does not indicate cancer, it could be as I found out with me getting many lumps under my arm near my breast that it was possibly due to me shaving and putting deoterant on not being aware of a cut, causing infection. I than started applying achohol after shaving, in place of deoterant to avoid infections. The lumps soon disappeared, and for 3 years now not had a reoccurance. These lumps are probably infections that need to be treated with antibiotics, or simple peroxide and alchohol.
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