Young Woman Should Think Pink
by: KUFH Reporter Melissa Galvez
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Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
The Rose warns women of top dangers during Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Young women should beware of five factors that may increase the risk of breast cancer, The Rose, the leading breast cancer specialty and support center in the Houston area, reported. October is breast cancer awareness month, and officials at The Rose are warning women about five dangers that could lead to increased health risks at a younger age than ever before.
1. Large consumption of meat and chicken
Those fast food hamburgers may be doing more than packing on the pounds. A lot of meat contains high levels of estrogen, a hormone that feeds breast cancer. “This year we had a 19-year-old diagnosed with advanced breast cancer and just weeks ago a 27-year-old diagnosed with the condition.” said Dr. Dixie Melillo, breast cancer surgeon at The Rose. “Young women today grew up eating beef and chicken from hormone-fed animals, and now we are seeing the results.” It’s recommended young girls eat meat in moderation and stick with the organic kind when possible.
2. Obesity
Sugar-laden junk foods and carbohydrates such as french fries and chips produce more body fat. Obesity can in turn increase the amount of estrogen, which helps tumors grow in women’s bodies. Regular exercise will help women reduce the amount of fat tissue that produces excess estrogen in their bodies.
3. Early onset of first menstrual period
The earlier puberty occurs, the longer a woman is exposed to estrogen. “Many girls are getting periods earlier because of the high fat and hormone-induced foods they eat. Excess estrogen at these earlier ages can be harmful long-term,” Dr. Melillo said.
4. No pregnancies before the age of 30
While pregnant, women develop hormones that protect them against breast cancer. The longer they go without birthing children, the less protection their body has. “The interruption of the estrogen cycle caused by pregnancy is helpful,” Dr. Melillo said.
5. Use of birth control
The increased exposure to estrogen at an early age and long uses of contraceptives is feared to expose women to increased risk of breast cancer.
“We are seeing more and more young women diagnosed with breast cancer and they need to know about that even though they may be too young for a mammogram, they are not too young for breast cancer.” said Dorothy Weston Gibbons, CEO of The Rose and president of the Breast Health Collaborative of Texas. Consider that there are more than 250,000 women living in the U.S. who were diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 40 or under, and approximately 10,000 young women will be diagnosed in the next year. Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in women ages 15 to 54. “Nationally, under 7% of all breast cancer cases occur in women under 40 years old, at The Rose, 10% of all cancers detected are in women under 40,” Gibbons added.
According to National Recommendations, routine screening mammograms should start at age 40. Regular mammograms are not recommended for younger women, in part, because breast tissue tends to be denser in young women, making mammograms a less effective as a screening tool. This is one reason The Rose established its Young Women’s Clinic in 2005. The Clinic is offered at both Rose locations, using a protocol driven program combining mammography, ultrasound and clinical correlation, designed especially for women 35 years old and younger.
“Exercise, maintain a diet low in fat and carbs, do regular self-breast exams, and get screened, especially if there’s a family history of breast cancer,” Dr. Melillo said. “It might save your life.”
The Rose uses advanced technology to provide mammography screening and also ultrasound testing—critical for better detection of breast cancer in younger women. The leading breast cancer center also provides immediate diagnosis—no days or weeks of agonizing wait for test results, early access to the best treatment available, and caring support for patients.
1. Large consumption of meat and chicken
Those fast food hamburgers may be doing more than packing on the pounds. A lot of meat contains high levels of estrogen, a hormone that feeds breast cancer. “This year we had a 19-year-old diagnosed with advanced breast cancer and just weeks ago a 27-year-old diagnosed with the condition.” said Dr. Dixie Melillo, breast cancer surgeon at The Rose. “Young women today grew up eating beef and chicken from hormone-fed animals, and now we are seeing the results.” It’s recommended young girls eat meat in moderation and stick with the organic kind when possible.
2. Obesity
Sugar-laden junk foods and carbohydrates such as french fries and chips produce more body fat. Obesity can in turn increase the amount of estrogen, which helps tumors grow in women’s bodies. Regular exercise will help women reduce the amount of fat tissue that produces excess estrogen in their bodies.
3. Early onset of first menstrual period
The earlier puberty occurs, the longer a woman is exposed to estrogen. “Many girls are getting periods earlier because of the high fat and hormone-induced foods they eat. Excess estrogen at these earlier ages can be harmful long-term,” Dr. Melillo said.
4. No pregnancies before the age of 30
While pregnant, women develop hormones that protect them against breast cancer. The longer they go without birthing children, the less protection their body has. “The interruption of the estrogen cycle caused by pregnancy is helpful,” Dr. Melillo said.
5. Use of birth control
The increased exposure to estrogen at an early age and long uses of contraceptives is feared to expose women to increased risk of breast cancer.
“We are seeing more and more young women diagnosed with breast cancer and they need to know about that even though they may be too young for a mammogram, they are not too young for breast cancer.” said Dorothy Weston Gibbons, CEO of The Rose and president of the Breast Health Collaborative of Texas. Consider that there are more than 250,000 women living in the U.S. who were diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 40 or under, and approximately 10,000 young women will be diagnosed in the next year. Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in women ages 15 to 54. “Nationally, under 7% of all breast cancer cases occur in women under 40 years old, at The Rose, 10% of all cancers detected are in women under 40,” Gibbons added.
According to National Recommendations, routine screening mammograms should start at age 40. Regular mammograms are not recommended for younger women, in part, because breast tissue tends to be denser in young women, making mammograms a less effective as a screening tool. This is one reason The Rose established its Young Women’s Clinic in 2005. The Clinic is offered at both Rose locations, using a protocol driven program combining mammography, ultrasound and clinical correlation, designed especially for women 35 years old and younger.
“Exercise, maintain a diet low in fat and carbs, do regular self-breast exams, and get screened, especially if there’s a family history of breast cancer,” Dr. Melillo said. “It might save your life.”
The Rose uses advanced technology to provide mammography screening and also ultrasound testing—critical for better detection of breast cancer in younger women. The leading breast cancer center also provides immediate diagnosis—no days or weeks of agonizing wait for test results, early access to the best treatment available, and caring support for patients.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Myrleen Knott elected new chairperson for The Rose
Myrleen Knott co-owner and vice president of Buffalo Flange, Inc., has been elected as the chairperson of The Rose’s Board of Directors, according to . Dorothy Gibbons, CEO of The Rose. Knott, who joined the board in 2003, succeeds outgoing chair Tom Watson, VP of Texans Citizen Bank.
Knott has dedicated much of her adult life to the empowerment of women and is an active member, serving on state and national boards of the American Business Women’s Association, Federation of Houston Professional Women, and many other non-profit organizations. Knott has been a longtime supporter of The Rose and was inspired to serve on its Board after a close friend was diagnosed and treated with help from the leading breast cancer organization.
Knott, who is committed to help raise awareness for the increased risk of breast cancer in younger women, explained: “We are finding more and more young women affected by breast cancer. The Rose’s Young Women’s Clinic, which uses advanced technology and program specific protocol, offers women a better chance of identifying breast cancer at an early age.”
Knott has served as an officer of Buffalo Flange, a Houston based flange manufacturing company, since 1980. She received a bachelor’s degree from Texas Tech University and resides in Alvin, Texas.
Knott has dedicated much of her adult life to the empowerment of women and is an active member, serving on state and national boards of the American Business Women’s Association, Federation of Houston Professional Women, and many other non-profit organizations. Knott has been a longtime supporter of The Rose and was inspired to serve on its Board after a close friend was diagnosed and treated with help from the leading breast cancer organization.
Knott, who is committed to help raise awareness for the increased risk of breast cancer in younger women, explained: “We are finding more and more young women affected by breast cancer. The Rose’s Young Women’s Clinic, which uses advanced technology and program specific protocol, offers women a better chance of identifying breast cancer at an early age.”
Knott has served as an officer of Buffalo Flange, a Houston based flange manufacturing company, since 1980. She received a bachelor’s degree from Texas Tech University and resides in Alvin, Texas.
5th Annual Breast Health Summit in Houston, October 29-30
The Breast Health Collaborative of Texas will present the 5th Annual Breast Health Summit on Thursday, October 29, and Friday, October 30, at the United Way of Texas Gulf Coast. The Summit is open to anyone interested in improving access to care, however, registration is required (breasthealthsummit.org). The purpose of the Summit is to focus on ways to improve access to health care, particularly for underinsured women in Texas.
Kim Akel, co-chair and director of Program Services at CanCare, Inc, says, “The Breast Health Summit is a community of people who care. If you care about when and how a person is screened for breast cancer, how they are diagnosed, treated and followed-up with, then this is the place for you. We foster an environment for information sharing and discussion on access to care, and every component involved: patient navigation, health care reform, insight into being a survivor, developing and utilizing a mobile mammography unit, integrative therapies and so on.”
The Summit will include a health care panel presentation in a town-hall meeting format with Ellen Cohen (State Representative District 134) and Garnett Coleman (State Representative District 147). The panel will respond to what they see happening with Health Care reform, and address how these changes will affect non-profit organizations and the people they serve. Dr. Thomas Moore, a nationally recognized author and keynote speaker, will discuss the topics, “Illness is a Right of Passage” and “Spirit and Soul in the Treatment of Cancer.” Bill Gimson, the executive director of the State of Texas Cancer Prevention and Research Institute (CPRIT) will also be featured. CPRIT was the result of Proposition 15- HJR 90, which Texas voters approved in November 2007. It allowed the issuance of $3 billion in bonds over ten years to fund grants for cancer research and prevention.
Other presentations will include organizational “speed dating” featuring various breast health and cancer organizations from around the state, patient navigation, a report on across-the-state issues and challenges and how we are currently closing the gap. According to Summit Co-Chair Loubel Cruz, associate director of Pink Ribbons Project, “This year’s Breast Health Summit will be the ideal place for anyone and everyone along the continuum of care for a breast cancer patient. “
Funding for the Breast Health Summit is provided by Pink Ribbons Project, The Rose, Houston Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center at Baylor College of Medicine, Boeing, St. Luke's Episcopal Health Charities, UT M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, M.D. Anderson Foundation, St. Martin's Episcopal Church, American Cancer Society Gulf Coast Region, Brazosport Regional Health System, Houston Endowment and Memorial Hermann Healthcare System.
Who: The Breast Health Collaborative of Texas
What: The 5th Annual Breast Health Summit
When: Thursday, October 29 and Friday, October 30
Where: United Way of Texas Gulf Coast Resource Center, 50 Waugh Drive, Houston, TX 77007.
Registration is $50. For more information or to register, log on to breasthealthsummit.org.
About the Breast Health Collaborative
The mission of the Breast Health Collaborative is to unite breast health advocates and providers to educate, advocate and leverage resources in Texas. Currently, the Collaborative has members stretching from Galveston to Big Bend, as far North as Dallas, and as far south as Brownsville. It has helped to advocate for a $19 million increase in spending for breast cancer screening, diagnostics, and treatment for low- income Texas women; advocated for reclassification of options with the Breast and Cervical Cancer Program, taking Texas from the most restricted option available to the least restricted, allowing more uninsured women access to services; helped advocate for the passage of Proposition 15, resulting in the dedication of $3 billion for cancer research and prevention over the next ten years. The Collaborative has over a hundred member organizations and the number continues to grow. There is no membership fee; members are simply asked for their ideas, input and time, plus a commitment to increasing access to healthcare through innovation and change.
Kim Akel, co-chair and director of Program Services at CanCare, Inc, says, “The Breast Health Summit is a community of people who care. If you care about when and how a person is screened for breast cancer, how they are diagnosed, treated and followed-up with, then this is the place for you. We foster an environment for information sharing and discussion on access to care, and every component involved: patient navigation, health care reform, insight into being a survivor, developing and utilizing a mobile mammography unit, integrative therapies and so on.”
The Summit will include a health care panel presentation in a town-hall meeting format with Ellen Cohen (State Representative District 134) and Garnett Coleman (State Representative District 147). The panel will respond to what they see happening with Health Care reform, and address how these changes will affect non-profit organizations and the people they serve. Dr. Thomas Moore, a nationally recognized author and keynote speaker, will discuss the topics, “Illness is a Right of Passage” and “Spirit and Soul in the Treatment of Cancer.” Bill Gimson, the executive director of the State of Texas Cancer Prevention and Research Institute (CPRIT) will also be featured. CPRIT was the result of Proposition 15- HJR 90, which Texas voters approved in November 2007. It allowed the issuance of $3 billion in bonds over ten years to fund grants for cancer research and prevention.
Other presentations will include organizational “speed dating” featuring various breast health and cancer organizations from around the state, patient navigation, a report on across-the-state issues and challenges and how we are currently closing the gap. According to Summit Co-Chair Loubel Cruz, associate director of Pink Ribbons Project, “This year’s Breast Health Summit will be the ideal place for anyone and everyone along the continuum of care for a breast cancer patient. “
Funding for the Breast Health Summit is provided by Pink Ribbons Project, The Rose, Houston Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center at Baylor College of Medicine, Boeing, St. Luke's Episcopal Health Charities, UT M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, M.D. Anderson Foundation, St. Martin's Episcopal Church, American Cancer Society Gulf Coast Region, Brazosport Regional Health System, Houston Endowment and Memorial Hermann Healthcare System.
Who: The Breast Health Collaborative of Texas
What: The 5th Annual Breast Health Summit
When: Thursday, October 29 and Friday, October 30
Where: United Way of Texas Gulf Coast Resource Center, 50 Waugh Drive, Houston, TX 77007.
Registration is $50. For more information or to register, log on to breasthealthsummit.org.
About the Breast Health Collaborative
The mission of the Breast Health Collaborative is to unite breast health advocates and providers to educate, advocate and leverage resources in Texas. Currently, the Collaborative has members stretching from Galveston to Big Bend, as far North as Dallas, and as far south as Brownsville. It has helped to advocate for a $19 million increase in spending for breast cancer screening, diagnostics, and treatment for low- income Texas women; advocated for reclassification of options with the Breast and Cervical Cancer Program, taking Texas from the most restricted option available to the least restricted, allowing more uninsured women access to services; helped advocate for the passage of Proposition 15, resulting in the dedication of $3 billion for cancer research and prevention over the next ten years. The Collaborative has over a hundred member organizations and the number continues to grow. There is no membership fee; members are simply asked for their ideas, input and time, plus a commitment to increasing access to healthcare through innovation and change.
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