This October, Think PINK!

Released: Friday, October 8, 2010

By Jennifer Spina

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month everything is turning PINK!  This has become a phenomenon worldwide.  This is a wonderful thing, but……we need to do more to help women and men alike to become more aware and help the prevention of breast cancer.  We also need to help those who are battling breast cancer NOW!  The best preventive measure against breast cancer is early detection like any cancer.  Many facilities such as ours, UBCF, offer Free Breast Screening Programs.  These types of programs allow women to be screened for free because they either have no insurance or their insurance will not cover the screening at all.   This is the 1^st step in helping women prevent or detect an early stage of breast cancer. 

A new form of prevention of breast cancer is genetic testing for the gene BRCA1 and BRCA2.  This is becoming more and more popular among women and men alike.  “Breast cancer is the most common cancer that affects women in the United States. There are at least two major genes BRCA1 and BRCA2, that when they mutate can cause breast cancer. These genes can be passed from parent to child, increasing the risk of developing cancer in that child that have parent carrying these genes. There is a 90% chance of developing breast cancer for a woman that has these mutated genes. In contrast, men carrying BRCA1 have no risk to develop breast cancer, but those carrying BRCA2 genes have high risk. It is important to note that mutations in these genes can be passed on to children by either parent. A man with a mutation is just as likely to pass this gene to his children as a woman with a mutation. Hereditary cancer occurs at young age, for instance a woman in her 20's with breast cancer is more likely to have hereditary type of cancer that a woman in her 50's.  I think the genetic counseling is a way to understand the nature of the disease, severity, and prognosis and, whether or not there is an effective therapy, but the amount of information needed depends on each person. The alternative of breast cancer gene testing should be offered only to women with a strong family history of breast cancer, because if she carries the mutation will benefit from a strict surveillance and monitoring or from a bilateral mastectomy.”  (Research from article: Breast Cancer Genes and Inheritance by: Viviana Rivera-Varas) 

How can we help women now who are battling breast cancer?  There are a few programs within the United States that assist women and their families financially while battling breast cancer.  One of these programs is the Individual Grant Program within UBCF.  This program is headed by me, Jennifer Spina, and we assist as many as possible financially while they are going through treatment or just getting back on their feet after a long journey battling breast cancer.  We assist with mortgage/rent payments, medical bills, co-pays, prescription co-pays, groceries and gas.   There are a few other organizations like us, but usually are only statewide.  UBCF is national and will assist anyone within our 50 states.    Here is a list of a few organizations that assist with finances:

American Breast Cancer Foundation

410-825-9388

contactABCF@abcf.org

The Health Well Foundation

800-675-8416

info@healthwellfoundation.org

CancerCare National Office 

800-813-HOPE

info@cancercare.org