Breast Cancer Awareness Month officially begins today. Each year, this disease becomes closer and closer to me…more and more friends are diagnosed, all stages represented. But, a few months ago it entered my family when my adult niece received her call. She and her identical twin own very special places in my heart. Suddenly, the disease was on my territory.
So, I am honored to join with Saint Agnes Hospital as it launches it’s “One Journey, Many Paths” Campaign. Their desire is to make women more aware of the need to take care of ourselves, perform self exams regularly, and stay current with mammograms.
I was allowed to interview Dr. Diana Griffiths, Medical Director of Saint Agnes’ COMPREHENSIVE BREAST CENTER. She brings us up to date.
Here is how our discussion went:
1. Please tell us about you, Dr. Griffiths, to help us get to know you better…
I am currently living in Baltimore and have been practicing at Saint Agnes Hospital since 1978, when I launched the hospital’s Cancer Institute. I am now the Medical Director of the hospital’s Comprehensive Breast Center and have been dedicated to working exclusively with breast cancer for about 15 years. I have a strong family history with breast cancer — my mother as well as two of her sisters were all diagnosed with the disease, and I lost my grandmother to breast cancer — and I have developed a passion to raise awareness about breast cancer, educate women and their families about the seriousness of the disease and successfully treat women who have been diagnosed.
2. There seem to be many women deciding to get mastectomies (even with Stage 1). Do you recommend that? What are the best ways to make those decisions?
It really depends on the patient. At Saint Agnes, we employ a multidisciplinary team approach to treatment, in which we pull together a team of doctors from a variety of specialties who, together, develop the best personal treatment plan for each patient. With that said, it is true that many women do come into the Center requesting a mastectomy (full removal of the cancerous breast), because they believe that a more aggressive treatment option will increase their survival rate. But research has shown that this isn’t true. For women who could be treated with either a mastectomy or lumpectomy and radiation, the mastectomy is equivalent to a lumpectomy and radiation and does not necessarily increase survival rates. 60-70% of patients can be appropriately treated with a lumpectomy and radiation, so we try to guide women toward a lumpectomy because we feel that it is a better option in terms of quality of life and minimizes risk of “over treatment.” But ultimately, the decision has to be made by the patient.
There are medical reasons that make the mastectomy an appropriate or even necessary, choice for some patients. Reasons include multiple breast cancers in the breast, previous radiation treatment and a relatively big cancer for a small breast. These women are better served having a mastectomy and wearing a prosthesis or having reconstructive surgery, as immediate reconstructive surgery has become more common within the last 30 years.
Double mastectomies have also become more common for women who believe that a bigger surgery will bring better results. However, there is no survival benefit proven from removing both breasts if only diagnosed in one, and no guarantee that breast cancer cannot come back.
The best way to determine whether or not to get a mastectomy or an alternative treatment route is to (1) sit down with your doctor and talk about all of your options. At Saint Agnes we do our best to clearly explain a lumpectomy, a mastectomy and the various forms of chemotherapy and radiation treatment and what the expected outcomes can be of each so that our patients are making truly educated decisions; (2) go home and think about it. While it is natural to want to come up with a treatment plan right away, it is important not to make a hasty decision based purely on emotions, as this is an incredibly serious decision that will have a lifelong impact.
3. Tell us a little bit about advancements in treatments. Are numbers improving of lives saved?
There has been an explosion of research completed in terms of basic biology and the biology of breast cancer. This has allowed us to develop targeted drugs through our consistent participation in clinical trials. This includes Tamoxifen, HER2 tumor marker tests, hormone/ endocrine-based treatments and new drug development that have influenced how effectively we treat patients. These advancements have greatly reduced the development of metastatic disease.
For example, Saint Agnes began using Herceptin and Pertuzumab along with chemotherapy, when the drugs were first approved by the FDA, to treat women with metastatic disease and more recently for women who qualify for Neoadjuvant Therapy. We provide Neoadjuvant Therapy to select patients when appropriate, which deviates from the standard treatment path and actually provides chemo before surgery. This method is used when the cancer is relatively large and can be shrunk prior to surgery, which also gives the patient the option of a lumpectomy versus a mastectomy. A normal post-surgery Complete Pathological Response Rate is around 33% – with this new approach, it’s over 60%. This also translates to better survival.
There are also new radiation technologies, such as AccuBoost, that we use at Saint Agnes. AccuBoost is a safer radiation treatment option in that it better targets the cancerous tissue and therefore minimizes radiation to healthy tissue in or near the breast and major organs such as the heart and lungs.
4. What is your greatest area of concern for women and breast cancer?
My greatest concern is for the women who ignore their cancer and don’t come in early for treatment, as breast cancer is highly treatable for the vast majority of women. Early detection is a woman’s best chance for survival. According to the American Cancer Society, only 67% of American women age 40+ are regularly getting mammograms. That’s an alarming statistic, considering the fact that 79% of new cases of breast cancer occurred in women age 50+.
5. What preventions do you think are the most important?
There are a number of ways women can decrease their chances of getting breast cancer. We emphasize the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle. This includes avoiding unnecessary hormone treatments, maintaining a healthy body weight, regular exercise, moderate alcohol intake, and a plant-based diet. We recommend monthly breast self-exams for women age 20+, and mammograms according to standard guidelines. These are:
Age 20 to 34
Physical examination of the breast by a trained professional every 3 years
Age 35 to 39
Physical examination of the breast by a trained professional every 3 years
Baseline mammogram for reference
Age 40+
Physical examination of the breast by a trained professional yearly
Mammogram yearly
I love to meet amazing women like Diana Griffiths, making a difference in the world and saving lives. Now, you can make a difference with your own family… or another.
SAINT AGNES HOSPITAL would like to give one of you a VITAMIX BLENDER ($450 value) to promote healthy eating. If you already have one, why don’t you enter and gift it to someone you know who needs to make healthier lifestyle choices. These are amazing blenders and there are so many things from smoothies to desserts which can be done with them. Who would you like to bless with a better health option? If it is your family…that is great.
Use It or Gift It!
All you have to do is watch a short video, then for more entries leave a comment below and tell us if it is for your family or a friend; follow Saint Agnes on Facebook and on Twitter (for extras, not required to win). The contest runs through October 15!
I work in a large health system, in our Cancer Institute. What concerns me about the government guidelines is that we see more and more young women with breast cancers, and to have the exam (without even getting a mammogram!!) every three years to me seems insufficient. It might be more unusual to see a young woman present with breast cancer than an older woman, but it happens. We encourage annual breast exams and a much earlier baseline. Can you imagine waiting until age 39 to get your first mammogram? The new "standard" guidelines seem to come up short, just based on first-hand observation. Karen
My mother. She needs to improve her health and this is a great way to help her out.
very informative and what a lovely give away.
Moving video. You go girl! This would be for my son and his family.. two beautiful grandkids! Every day is a gift.
A wonderful video, and interview; so very poignant! Thank you for sharing Pam. xoxo Karena The Arts by Karena
Thank you for this important post, Pamela.
Pam,
I think we all know someone who has been touched by breast cancer. Thanks for spreading awareness and to both you and the Doctor for sharing her knowledge! xoxo
I would give this Vitamix to my mom to become healthier!! She would love to start making some healthier recipes and smoothies. She is also a breast cancer survivor.
this would be great for my mom!
I would give it to my sister – she is pregnant with twin boys and she is trying to eat healthy for their future
I'd give it to my friend who is struggling to lose weight and maintain a healthy diet.
The video brought back a lot of memories and feelings of my mom being diagnosed with breast cancer. I think it should have stressed the need for early diagnosis a little more.
I would give it to my daughter for her health shakes and juices.
My friend Barb who has been cancer free for over 5 years now!
This would be for me. I have a basic blender but a Vitamix would be wonderful.
For anyone having treatment or has had treatment, please ask your doctor about lymphedema. It's can be a side effect of cancer treatment and many doctors don't know how to handle it well. You can always get more information through the Lymphedema and Education Research Network.
My son, whose birthday is coming up! Let him make those smoothies for my grandkids!
my sister! she has been trying to lose weight and be healthier, I know this would help her out a lot!
rafflecopter – sents saver
My husband is trying to get his diabetes under control and he loves his protein smoothies. I have a friend who has one of these and they love it!!
Our daughter's family would certainly enjoy a Vitamix blender ♪♫
I've been supporting our friend Jen throught her journey; I'm sure she would love a Vitamix.
I would give this to my parents,who could really use a helping hand in eating healthy. Thank you for the wonderful giveaway.
We are all thinking of our friend Sally these days. Staying supportive is so important.
Thanks for sharing. Our family has been touched by cancer and to have family and support means everything.
My husband to help keep him healthy.
I would give it to my mother for her and dad to use and stay healthy.
I would give it to my sister to keep her healthy! Every day is a gift.. enjoy!
My husband would be the one I would bless. He needs more greens and vegetables.
I would love to give this to my parents so that it can help them eat healthier. Thank you!
Today I have my friend Liz and her hubby, Jay in mind. Both are an inspiration at the age of 80! Every day is a gift… enjoy today!
Today I will be seeing our friend Karen at her daughter's soccer game. Both her and her husband found out they had cancer at the same time. Both have stayed strong and won! Continuing to give them my love and support! Every day is a gift.. enjoy it! Embrace it. ♥
I would bless my parents with this wonderful gift. I'm determined to get them healthy!
My sister would really enjoy having a Vitamix.
I would bless my parents with this amazing gift. They would be over the moon! Thanks again and have a blessed day!
I would give this to my DIL. Diagnosed with melanoma as a teenager,she has had regular checks for it every year…this year it came back. I kept the grands while my son and DIL went in to have it removed. There are some pretty serious question right now.
I would give this to a dear friend who lost their mother to breast cancer.
I would give to someone who needed it for cancer or any other health aliment that needed it in order to get their health back on track… I'd give it to a close friend of mine.
This morning we had a birthday breakfast with our son and his family. We are so blessed to live so close that we see the grands on a weekly basis. I think that they would enjoy having a Vitamix in their home
I would give it to my family we need to stay haelthy
I would give it to my family we need to stay haelthy
If I won, I would give the Vitamix Blender to my mother. She has always wanted one and she loves to create healthy meals 🙂
I would give it to my sister to stay healthy. Nicole Carter Weasley on the form.
I would bless my sister because I want her to be healthy and happy.
I would gift it to my dad. Although, he doesnt have breast cancer….He has been diagnosed 2 separate times this year with esophagus cancer. His mother passed with colon cancer. Im his daughter, I have celiac disease and my daughter has crohns. We would all benefit from using this Vitamix blender! Thanks for the opportunity.
My sister, who has totally changed her diet for better health.
I have 2 family members who are currently going through treatment for breast cancer.
I would have you donate it to someone that could use it.
I would give this to my friend who has just finished chemo and radiation. She needs to eat healthy!
I would bless my family. We have been trying to eat healthier and this would be a great step. Cancer is an issue my family has dealt with time and time again. I would love to help protect my family by ensuring we are as healthy as possible.
I would give this to my sister since I already have a blender and she needs to eat healthier.
If I were to win this one it would be for my family. My parents are aging and need to stay healthy and I'd like to get healthy again.
my Dad, I want him to eat healthier!
ssgsweeps @gmail .com
I would gift this Vitamix to my sister, a survivor!
I would bless my parents with this fabulous gift! Thank you for the amazing opportunity!
This would be a great gift for my DIL who is dealing with melanoma. I think this would be a great help to her for getting the nutrition she needs and to help her keep her weight up. Mary Beth Elderton
I would bless my family with this gift, it would help make us healthier!
I would give to a pal who has had Brest Cancer and is trying to eating healthy.
I would keep it so my family could have healthy meals here at home!
I would give it to my mom! She deserves it!
My sister Barb who works in a hospital. Helps so many people. Hard, heartbreaking job.
My friend Brenda, a breast cancer survivor.
friend
I would give it to my aunt who is a breast cancer survivor!
I would give to my mom she survived melanoma very scary .. I am so thankful she is here with us today …
I would actually gift it to my husband who was just diagnosed with liver cancer. Thank you for the chance.
To be totally honest – I'd keep the Vitamix for myself. My mother-in-law is a cancer survivor, as if my father. Neither of them would ever use this Vitamix, BUT, I would use it to prepare meals for them. My dad will be 92 in January, so I would imagine that one day soon, he will be living with us, so the Vitamix would truly come in handy.
My mom. She needs ways to eat healthier meals.
I would give this to my husband who had a brother and two uncles die from colon cancer. My husband was diagnosed with colon cancer too and had part of his colon removed and is now cancer free and this was all in the last few months.
This would be a real blessing for my DIL
This would be such a blessing for my parents. Especially my dad, who has Type 2 diabetes. I'm working on getting him to change his eating habits, and this could really help. Thanks again!
I would give this great gift to my daughter.
I would keep it for our family we need any and all help we can get to eat healthier. Thank you so much for the chance!
I would give this to my aunt who just had a double mastectomy done about a month ago because of breast cancer. This would def help her in her recovery 🙂
If I won, I would give this to my mother. For as long as I can remember, she was always into eating and cooking healthy. She would mix wheat germ in our dog's food, not sure why, but her coat was very shiny and she lived to be 16 years old 🙂
I would give this to my husband with the idea of keeping us both healthy as we turn 70
I would give it to my sister, she is struggling to lose weight and get healthy.
a friend
My friend Brenda. a breast cancer survivor.
I'd give this to my boyfriend, who is a cancer survivor!
What a touching video. It made me cry. Loved to see everyone's strenghth. It hits close to home as I just lost my grandma to breast cancer last month. I would love to bless my mom Patti with the VitaMix. She has always wanted one.
I would bless my aunt! She is abreast cancer survivor.
I would give it to my daughter. She has an immune deficiency and psoriatic arthritis and she has a long life to live. I wish her to have a healthy life.
I work in a large health system, in our Cancer Institute. What concerns me about the government guidelines is that we see more and more young women with breast cancers, and to have the exam (without even getting a mammogram!!) every three years to me seems insufficient. It might be more unusual to see a young woman present with breast cancer than an older woman, but it happens. We encourage annual breast exams and a much earlier baseline. Can you imagine waiting until age 39 to get your first mammogram? The new "standard" guidelines seem to come up short, just based on first-hand observation. Karen
My mother. She needs to improve her health and this is a great way to help her out.
very informative and what a lovely give away.
Moving video. You go girl! This would be for my son and his family.. two beautiful grandkids! Every day is a gift.
A wonderful video, and interview; so very poignant! Thank you for sharing Pam.
xoxo
Karena
The Arts by Karena
Thank you for this important post, Pamela.
Pam,
I think we all know someone who has been touched by breast cancer. Thanks for spreading awareness and to both you and the Doctor for sharing her knowledge! xoxo
I would give this Vitamix to my mom to become healthier!! She would love to start making some healthier recipes and smoothies. She is also a breast cancer survivor.
this would be great for my mom!
I would give it to my sister – she is pregnant with twin boys and she is trying to eat healthy for their future
I'd give it to my friend who is struggling to lose weight and maintain a healthy diet.
The video brought back a lot of memories and feelings of my mom being diagnosed with breast cancer. I think it should have stressed the need for early diagnosis a little more.
I would give it to my daughter for her health shakes and juices.
My friend Barb who has been cancer free for over 5 years now!
This would be for me. I have a basic blender but a Vitamix would be wonderful.
For anyone having treatment or has had treatment, please ask your doctor about lymphedema. It's can be a side effect of cancer treatment and many doctors don't know how to handle it well. You can always get more information through the Lymphedema and Education Research Network.
My son, whose birthday is coming up! Let him make those smoothies for my grandkids!
my sister! she has been trying to lose weight and be healthier, I know this would help her out a lot!
rafflecopter – sents saver
My husband is trying to get his diabetes under control and he loves his protein smoothies. I have a friend who has one of these and they love it!!
Our daughter's family would certainly enjoy a Vitamix blender ♪♫
I've been supporting our friend Jen throught her journey; I'm sure she would love a Vitamix.
I would give this to my parents,who could really use a helping hand in eating healthy. Thank you for the wonderful giveaway.
We are all thinking of our friend Sally these days. Staying supportive is so important.
Thanks for sharing. Our family has been touched by cancer and to have family and support means everything.
My husband to help keep him healthy.
I would give it to my mother for her and dad to use and stay healthy.
I would give it to my sister to keep her healthy! Every day is a gift.. enjoy!
My husband would be the one I would bless. He needs more greens and vegetables.
I would love to give this to my parents so that it can help them eat healthier. Thank you!
Today I have my friend Liz and her hubby, Jay in mind. Both are an inspiration at the age of 80! Every day is a gift… enjoy today!
Today I will be seeing our friend Karen at her daughter's soccer game. Both her and her husband found out they had cancer at the same time. Both have stayed strong and won! Continuing to give them my love and support! Every day is a gift.. enjoy it! Embrace it. ♥
I would bless my parents with this wonderful gift. I'm determined to get them healthy!
My sister would really enjoy having a Vitamix.
I would bless my parents with this amazing gift. They would be over the moon! Thanks again and have a blessed day!
I would give this to my DIL. Diagnosed with melanoma as a teenager,she has had regular checks for it every year…this year it came back. I kept the grands while my son and DIL went in to have it removed. There are some pretty serious question right now.
I would give this to a dear friend who lost their mother to breast cancer.
I would give to someone who needed it for cancer or any other health aliment that needed it in order to get their health back on track… I'd give it to a close friend of mine.
This morning we had a birthday breakfast with our son and his family. We are so blessed to live so close that we see the grands on a weekly basis. I think that they would enjoy having a Vitamix in their home
I would give it to my family we need to stay haelthy
I would give it to my family we need to stay haelthy
If I won, I would give the Vitamix Blender to my mother. She has always wanted one and she loves to create healthy meals 🙂
I would give it to my sister to stay healthy.
Nicole Carter Weasley on the form.
I would bless my sister because I want her to be healthy and happy.
I would gift it to my dad. Although, he doesnt have breast cancer….He has been diagnosed 2 separate times this year with esophagus cancer. His mother passed with colon cancer. Im his daughter, I have celiac disease and my daughter has crohns. We would all benefit from using this Vitamix blender! Thanks for the opportunity.
My sister, who has totally changed her diet for better health.
I have 2 family members who are currently going through treatment for breast cancer.
I would have you donate it to someone that could use it.
I would give this to my friend who has just finished chemo and radiation. She needs to eat healthy!
I would bless my family. We have been trying to eat healthier and this would be a great step. Cancer is an issue my family has dealt with time and time again. I would love to help protect my family by ensuring we are as healthy as possible.
I would give this to my sister since I already have a blender and she needs to eat healthier.
If I were to win this one it would be for my family. My parents are aging and need to stay healthy and I'd like to get healthy again.
my Dad, I want him to eat healthier!
ssgsweeps @gmail .com
I would gift this Vitamix to my sister, a survivor!
I would bless my parents with this fabulous gift! Thank you for the amazing opportunity!
This would be a great gift for my DIL who is dealing with melanoma. I think this would be a great help to her for getting the nutrition she needs and to help her keep her weight up.
Mary Beth Elderton
I would bless my family with this gift, it would help make us healthier!
I would give to a pal who has had Brest Cancer and is trying to eating healthy.
I would keep it so my family could have healthy meals here at home!
I would give it to my mom! She deserves it!
My sister Barb who works in a hospital. Helps so many people. Hard, heartbreaking job.
My friend Brenda, a breast cancer survivor.
friend
I would give it to my aunt who is a breast cancer survivor!
I would give to my mom she survived melanoma very scary .. I am so thankful she is here with us today …
I would actually gift it to my husband who was just diagnosed with liver cancer. Thank you for the chance.
To be totally honest – I'd keep the Vitamix for myself. My mother-in-law is a cancer survivor, as if my father. Neither of them would ever use this Vitamix, BUT, I would use it to prepare meals for them. My dad will be 92 in January, so I would imagine that one day soon, he will be living with us, so the Vitamix would truly come in handy.
My mom. She needs ways to eat healthier meals.
I would give this to my husband who had a brother and two uncles die from colon cancer. My husband was diagnosed with colon cancer too and had part of his colon removed and is now cancer free and this was all in the last few months.
This would be a real blessing for my DIL
This would be such a blessing for my parents. Especially my dad, who has Type 2 diabetes. I'm working on getting him to change his eating habits, and this could really help. Thanks again!
I would give this great gift to my daughter.
I would keep it for our family we need any and all help we can get to eat healthier. Thank you so much for the chance!
I would give this to my aunt who just had a double mastectomy done about a month ago because of breast cancer. This would def help her in her recovery 🙂
If I won, I would give this to my mother. For as long as I can remember, she was always into eating and cooking healthy. She would mix wheat germ in our dog's food, not sure why, but her coat was very shiny and she lived to be 16 years old 🙂
I would give this to my husband with the idea of keeping us both healthy as we turn 70
I would give it to my sister, she is struggling to lose weight and get healthy.
a friend
My friend Brenda. a breast cancer survivor.
I'd give this to my boyfriend, who is a cancer survivor!
What a touching video. It made me cry. Loved to see everyone's strenghth. It hits close to home as I just lost my grandma to breast cancer last month. I would love to bless my mom Patti with the VitaMix. She has always wanted one.
I would bless my aunt! She is abreast cancer survivor.
I would give it to my daughter. She has an immune deficiency and psoriatic arthritis and she has a long life to live. I wish her to have a healthy life.