×
×
homepage logo

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

By Lisa Scheller - | Oct 10, 2001

This year, an estimated 192,200 women in this country will be diagnosed with breast cancer.

And according to the American Cancer Society, more than 40,000 women will die from breast cancer.

In honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an open house will be held at 7 p.m. Oct. 25 at First State Bank, 1106 N. 155th St., Basehor.

Dr. Sonya Thompson, of Munson Community Health Center, Leavenworth, will speak at this meeting.

Tonganoxie’s breast cancer support group was started four years ago by Shirley Kasper, who was diagnosed with breast cancer 26 years ago. The group meets at 7:30 p.m. on the second Monday of every month at the Tonganoxie City Library.

Kasper said that about 10 women attend each month’s meeting. Usually, she said, a speaker, such as a radiologist, an oncology nurse or a surgeon, will speak at the meetings.

Kasper stresses the importance of early detection by breast self-examinations, physician examinations and mammograms.

“Your rate of survival is much better when you can detect it early,” Kasper said.

It’s important to be aware of a genetic predisposition for breast cancer. Kasper said if a woman’s mother or sister has had breast cancer, she should have a clinical examination by a physician, as well as a baseline mammogram.

The support group helps women come to terms with their diagnosis, Kasper said.

“Talking about it is a good thing,” she said. “It took me a long time to say I’ve had cancer I always used to say I’ve had a mastectomy because cancer is a word to fear, so I think talking about it is helpful.”