THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 16, 1994 TAG: 9410140779
SECTION: HAMPTON ROADS WOMAN PAGE: 07 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DEBRA GORDON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 86 lines
IF YOU'RE a woman over 50, your public health department wants to talk to you. To tell you about your risk for breast and cervical cancer. To ask when your last mammogram was. To show you how to do a breast self-examination. And to help you find the resources to take care of yourself so you don't become a statistic.
They've even got the money for it. The Virginia Department of Health recently received $925,000 in grants to conduct the Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program, targeted to women 50 and older.
A portion of the money will be used to conduct data collection and analysis, purchase educational materials, establish a client tracking and follow-up system, and cover expenses of a statewide coalition.
``We need to empower the women we're trying to reach with the ability to make decisions on their own health,'' said Toni Brown, who directs the program for the Virginia Beach Health Department.
Studies have shown that mammograms in women age 50 and older can reduce breast cancer death rates by 30 percent because the tumors are found earlier. In past years, the average tumor was the size of a grapefruit. With early detection, today's average tumor is size of a pen tip.
With such compelling evidence that early detection works, why do women over 50 have such a dismal rate of mammography?
Brown rattles off the reasons:
Lack of referral. Older women often won't go for a mammogram unless they're referred by their doctor - which they don't need.
Ignorance. ``Older women don't realize their risk is so much greater than younger women's.''
Fear of radiation. This dates back to the early days of mammography, when the radiation dose was higher. Today's machines are much safer, and, says Brown, emit as much radiation as you'd receive in a car trip to and from New York. Each year, a woman is exposed to more background radiation in her daily life than she receives from her annual mammogram.
Embarrassment and discomfort.
Lack of transportation.
Personal belief. ``They regard illness and disability as inevitable; they lack faith in medicine.
Lack of a personal doctor. ``They may find a lump, but they don't have a private doctor, so they don't know where to go.'' ILLUSTRATION: Graphics
JUST THE FACTS
ODDS WORSEN WITH AGE
SOURCE: American Cancer Society
[For complete graphic, please see microfilm]
IT'S YOUR TURN
The Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation is sponsoring a special
performance of the play, Amazons in August, at the Generic Theater
in Norfolk on Nov. 9. Proceeds will go to the foundation. For more
information, contact Marilyn Wakeman at 481-7293.
Sentara Health System will present Linda Ellerbee, TV
personality, writer and producer, to talk about her own experience
with breast cancer. The program will be held at 7 p.m. Oct. 26 at
the Norfolk Airport Hilton. To reserve a seat, call (800) SENTARA.
The $5 ticket price will be donated to the American Cancer
Society.
ONLINE RESOURCES
To find out more about breast cancer, access these resources on
the Internet:
Breast Cancer Listserver:
To subscribe, send a message to: Listserv(AT)morgan.ucs.mun.ca
with the following in the body of the message: Subscribe
Breast-Cancer (your name)
Breast Cancer Information Clearinghouse:
gopher to NYSERNET.Org, or, if you have Wide World Web access:
http://nysernet.org/bcic
Oncolink
gopher to cancer.med.upenn.edu
KEYWORDS: BREAST CANCER by CNB