Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/170421
Breast Health: From October 1–13, shoppers can stop by The Pink Promise Zone at The Shops at La Cantera and offer their support for The Friends of CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Foundation. Shoppers can sign a Pink Promise card and make a pledge for better breast health. For each Pink Promise signed, The Shops at La Cantera will donate $1, up to $2,000, to The Friends of CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Foundation. Monies raised will go to support the CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Mobile Mammography Unit. Knowledge = Confidence Women who put off routine breast cancer screenings because they have no history of the disease in their family may be jumping to the wrong conclusion. Silver Stars Come Out for Breast Health Awareness Wearing pink uniforms, the San Antonio Silver Stars faced off against the Phoenix Mercury in August to benefit the CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Mobile Mammography Unit (MMU), which was upgraded this year with digital imaging technology. Players auctioned off their jerseys following the game to make mammogram screenings convenient and affordable in South Central Texas. More than a third of MMU screenings are funded by donations. "We strive to make access to breast health convenient for women who might not otherwise have a mammogram due to financial constraints, transportation issues, or who are uninsured," explains Stephanie Krueger, director of development for the Friends of CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Foundation. "We believe wholeheartedly that no woman in this community should die from breast cancer because she felt she could not afford the screenings." 4 Data from the American Association for Cancer Research reveals a large percentage of women do not get regular screening mammograms because they feel they are not at risk or because they are uninsured. For Sandra K. Heard, MD, Medical Director, Radiology at CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Health System, the first step to empowering women to take charge of their breast health is education. "The profile of a woman who has been newly diagnosed with breast cancer is most commonly one who has no history of breast cancer in her family," says Dr. Heard. "Women are often shocked when they are diagnosed if none of the risk factors, such as a genetic connection, are present." According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, 12,000 cases of invasive breast cancer are diagnosed each year, making it the most common form of cancer among Texas women. However, the chances of a patient surviving breast cancer are excellent if it is diagnosed in its earliest stages. THE SOONER THE BETTER Dr. Heard says educating young women about maintaining good breast health throughout their lives can't start soon enough. "From age 20, a woman should begin conducting monthly breast self-exams in order to familiarize herself with what her breasts normally look and feel like," Dr. Heard says. "Establishing a baseline early can help a woman pick up on small changes in her breast tissue and alert her when something does not feel right." An annual clinical exam, mammography, or digital X-ray can help a woman's health care provider determine if changes over time in tissue density or nipple condition are non-cancerous or benign. "Digital mammography has revolutionized the way we image breast tissue," Dr. Heard says. "As a diagnostic radiologist for more than 30 years, I can say from experience that looking at a digital image of the breast versus a traditional film X-ray is like seeing a blue, clear sky after a cloudy day. The difference is breathtaking." Sandra K. Heard, MD Schedule your screening mammogram at a CHRISTUS Santa Rosa facility near you by calling 877.250.DOCS (3627). No physician referral is necessary for women age 40 and older with no symptoms or complaints. christussantarosa.org