By Miriam Stansbury
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but for Jacksonville-area physicians and survivors, the message is one that deserves attention all year. Find it early.
Breast cancer remains one of the most common cancers affecting women, but advances in screening, diagnosis and treatment are giving patients more options and, when cancer is found early, a better chance of successful treatment.
At UF Health Jacksonville, Shahla Masood, M.D., professor and chair of pathology and laboratory medicine and medical director of the UF Health Breast Center, has devoted her career to breast health. Her research includes early breast cancer detection, minimally invasive biopsy techniques and factors that help physicians predict how a cancer may behave.
Mayo Clinic Jacksonville oncologist Pooja Advani, M.D., also studies an important issue: racial and ethnic disparities in breast cancer biology and treatment outcomes.
Those disparities are significant. According to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, African American women are about 40% more likely to die from breast cancer than White women and are more likely to develop aggressive triple-negative breast cancers.
Jacksonville survivor Chris Fluitt learned firsthand why screening matters. A routine mammogram detected her cancer in 2021. She later persuaded her sister to get her first mammogram and her sister was also diagnosed with breast cancer.
“I want to help as many women as I can and let them know that they’re not in this alone,” Fluitt said.
Another Jacksonville survivor, Wykina Harris, had no symptoms and no family history when her first mammogram revealed an abnormality. A follow-up examination found three malignant tumors.
The current USPSTF recommendation calls for women ages forty through seventy-four at average risk to receive mammography every two years. Women with previous breast cancer, certain genetic mutations or other high-risk factors may need a different screening.
Don’t wait for a lump. Don’t assume you’re safe because you have no family history. Keep your screening appointments and follow up promptly when something is abnormal.
