IT’S TIME TO THINK PINK FOR BETTER HEALTH!
THINKING PINK- MORE THAN A COLOR
This October, we’re encouraging you to Think Pink. Not because pink is a pretty color, but because breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in Utah women. Together, though, we can help change that. This month we’ll share breast cancer awareness tips with ways you can protect your health and find local events, resources and support. We’ll also remind you that if you’re over 40, it’s time for you to book your annual mammogram. That 25-minute screening is the key to finding breast cancer early, when it’s most treatable and when the survival rate is 99%. Especially since your biggest risk of developing breast cancer isn’t family history, its simply being a woman. FM100.3 and our Think Pink partner Beehive Meals understand that moms in their 40s and working women like you are busy. But, this month, we hope you’ll make time for your own health and Think Pink because screenings save lives.
For Breast Cancer Awareness Month, FM100.3 and Beehive Meals are lightening the load of Utahns touched by breast cancer and giving them a chance to receive free, delicious Beehive Meals deliveries! Listen to FM100.3’s Rebecca at 12:20pm each workday this month for daily giveaways and nominate a patient, survivor or caregiver HERE for a chance to win 10 already prepped frozen freezer meals delivered directly to their door thanks to our Think Pink partner Beehive Meals….making dinner easy for those touched by breast cancer.
This month there are special events that can help you learn more about your health and connect to support and resources. FM100.3’s Midday Host Rebecca Cressman is a 5 year breast cancer survivor who is volunteers in breast cancer research and patient advocacy. She will be at many of these events and is happy to answer any questions you might have or you can also email her at Rebecca@FM100.com.
Saturday, October 12th, Provo, Utah
PINK SYNC Free Event for Breast Cancer Survivors
Utah Valley Hospital Sorenson Building, Provo, Utah
10:00am-1:30pm
Register for FREE at Pinksync.org
A special free gathering with classes and lunch created by survivor Cami Kapp to connect Breast Cancer Patients together at Utah Valley Hospital. FM100.3’s Rebecca Cressman is keynote speaker.
Saturday, October 12th, Liberty Park, Salt Lake City, Utah
MAKING STRIDES AGAINST BREAST CANCER OF UTAH
8:00am Registration
9:00am Walk Begins
Join the American Cancer Society at this walk of celebration, courage and hope, uniting communities to end breast cancer as we know it. Details and Donations
Friday, October 19th, Fashion Place Mall, Murray, Utah
United Breast Cancer Foundation’s “Pink Bag” Event with Lifting Hearts Breast Cancer Support Group
10:00 am Walk
11:00 am Pink Bag giveaway to first 300 Survivors
11:00-2:00 Community Resources, Survivor and Memory Walls, Selfie Stations and more!
Friday, October 25th, Hilton, Salt Lake City, Utah
A NIGHT OF GIVING
5:00pm-8:00pm
Come support Utah’s only Hispanic Breast Cancer Support Group “Las Triunfadoras” and celebrate programs in Utah that empower the Hispanic Community with Alliance Community Services. FM100.3’s Rebecca Cressman is emceeing this fundraising event. DONATE
Saturday, November 9th, Davis High School Commons, Kaysville, Utah
SparkLee Sisters Charity Ball
6:30pm-9:30pm
Get dressed up and party for a cause! Live DJ, desserts, prize drawings & silent auction!
FREE SCREENINGS:
To find out if you qualify for a FREE Screening or to make an appointment,
call Utah Cancer Control at 1-800-717-1811.
THINK PINK TIPS
1 – All women should talk to their doctor about their breast cancer risk. Because sometimes there are no signs of breast cancer, its recommended that women 40 and older get yearly mammograms.
2 – Family history or genetics is only responsible for about 10% of breast cancer cases, 90% of breast cancer survivors have no inherited risk. That’s why every woman should have a plan for breast cancer screening.
3 – Your greatest risk factor for developing breast cancer is being a woman, but there is so much hope. Finding breast cancer early in a localized stage has a 5-year survival rate of 99%.
4 – In breast cancer, cancerous cells form inside the breast’s tissue. The most common type is Ductal Carcinoma-where cancerous cells form inside the breast ducts, but there is also lobular, inflammatory, angiosarcoma, and Paget’s disease.
5 – If you sense a change in your breast, you should make an appointment right away to get it checked out, it could help find cancer early when it’s easier to treat.
6 – Utah has some of the best cancer treating hospitals and research centers in the country. But, Utah is ranked 44th in the nation for mammogram screening. More than 1/3 of women over 40 here are not getting their mammograms and possibly losing the chance to find cancer early when it’s most treatable.
7 – Mammograms can find breast cancer sometimes years before it can be felt or before you have symptoms. That’s why self-exams alone are not enough.
8 – You can reduce your risk of breast cancer by not smoking, limiting your alcohol, maintaining a healthy weight, eating plenty of vegetables, being physically active, and limiting postmenopausal hormone therapy.
9 – Why it’s so important? 1 in 8 women will get breast cancer in her lifetime and breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths for Utah women.
10 – Most insurance plans cover mammograms for women ages 40 and older as part of breast screening coverage with no additional out-of-pocket costs. If you have a family history of breast cancer and are under age 40, insurance may cover you beginning mammogram screenings at an earlier age.
11 – If you don’t have insurance or have a high deductible, the Utah Department of Health has a program that offers free breast and cervical cancer screenings. Call 1-800-717-1811 to ask about getting a free mammogram voucher.
12 – If you have a family history of breast cancer or inherited changes in your BRCA1 and BRAC2 genes, there are ways to lower your breast cancer risk, so please talk to your doctor about a plan to lower your risk.
13 – Huntsman Cancer Institute has a Breast Cancer Risk Clinic for women who may have a higher chance of breast or ovarian cancer due to genetic mutations or a family history of cancer. The clinic helps those women develop a personal screening plan and schedule follow-up care.
14 – Get to know your body. Look in the mirror and if you see skin puckering, dimpling, scaly, red or swollen skin, discharge or a nipple turned inward. If you notice a change in the size or shape of your breast, alert your doctor right away.
15 – Yearly mammograms are essential to detect breast cancer early, but regular self-exams and clinical exams by a healthcare professional can help identify abnormalities and warning signs.
16 – There are different types of breast cancers and they may be treated differently depending on the type, the stage, the grade, and a patient’s own health history.
17 – No woman is “too young” to develop breast cancer. In fact there’s been a rise of estrogen based breast cancer in young women aged 15-39. Overall, about 11% of breast cancers are found in women younger than 45.
18 – There are four stages of breast cancer. And whether a patient is Stage 1, 2, 3, or 4 depends on the size of the tumor when its found, where the cancer has spread, and how many lymph nodes have been affected. Stage I cancers are less advanced and often have a better prognosis.
19 – Most breast cancer patients will have surgery as part of their treatment plan. But some patients may also have radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and other therapies to help fight the spread of cancer cells in the body.
20 – “Ductal carcinoma in situ” is a very early form of breast cancer where tiny cancer cells are confined inside a milk duct and haven’t spread to nearby tissue. It’s also called DCIS, or Stage 0 breast cancer.
21 – When breast cancer spreads to distant parts of a woman’s body, the cancer is advanced and called Stage 4 or Metastatic Breast Cancer. Even when breast cancer can’t be cured, many treatments exist to extend life and many women live for years after their cancer metastasized.
22 – Support groups for breast cancer patients are great places for patients to find emotional support and resources. Las Triunfadoras is the state’s largest Spanish speaking support group based in Salt Lake. Pink Sync and Lifting Hearts are both based in Utah County. The American Cancer Society’s app “Reach to Recovery” connects patients to survivors and Intermountain Health offers a free support group called “Coping with Cancer: Breast Cancer Support Group.
23 – A woman’s chance of getting breast cancer increases with age, but there are other known risk factors, a personal history of breast cancer, dense breast tissue, being overweight, taking hormones such as estrogen after menopause, drinking alcohol, genetic changes like BRCA1 and BRCA2, or a family history of breast cancer.
24 – You can book your mammogram directly without going through your doctor. If you’re over 40, just call up the screening facility and make an appointment.
25 – There are local retreat experiences for breast cancer patients. Image Reborn Foundation holds no-cost renewal retreats in Utah for those diagnosed with breast cancer. The weekend retreats are in luxury mountain homes and are held in both English and Spanish.
