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Living Life After 50
October 2024 Prather: “Gymnastics Brings Me Joy” See Page 14
Elko Edition REaching ElkhaRt, kosciusko, noblE and lagRangE countiEs Vol. 37, No. 8
www.seniorlifenewspapers.com
‘EARLY DETECTION IS KEY’ in breast cancer cases Text and Photos By LILLI DWYER Staff Writer During Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, healthcare professionals emphasize the importance of detecting the disease. Peggy Myles, BSN, RN, OCN has been working in oncology since 2001 and currently serves as nurse navigator at Lutheran Kosciusko Hospital in Warsaw. Breast cancer is usually found in one of two ways, Myles said: through a self-exam or through a mammogram. The medical recommendation is for women to begin annual mammogram testing at 40 years old, though Myles noted if someone has a strong family history of breast cancer, their provider might recommend screening start at an earlier age. Self-examinations are also an important detection tool, and should be performed monthly. “We really want to stress that women should do their monthly self-exams, that way they’re familiar with their body, they notice any changes,” she explained. Aside from lumps, signs of breast cancer can include skin changes like redness or dimpling, nipple discharge or discomfort in the breast tissue and surrounding area. If breast cancer is found, one patient’s treatment plan
YEARS OF EXPERIENCE — Peggy Myles, RN, is pictured with a mammogram machine. Myles has been in oncology since 2001 and emphasizes the importance of early detection in breast cancer cases. might look very different from another. Treatments for breast cancer include surgeries like a mastectomy or lumpectomy. A lumpectomy might be followed by radiation. After surgery, a test called Oncotype DX is used on the breast tumor tissue to determine the risk of recurrence and if chemotherapy treatment would be beneficial. “Ninety percent of women (who have this testing) don’t need chemo, and that’s why this (Oncotype DX) testing is so great,
we don’t want to give chemo to people who don’t need it,” said Myles. There is also hormone suppressant therapy for “certain types of cancer that need the estrogen in our bodies to survive and grow.” This medicine is prescribed for a period of at least five years. “Early detection is key,” she went on. “There’s wonderful treatment for breast cancer. The outcomes are even better if it’s found early, but even if a wom-
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MAMMOGRAM MACHINE — Pictured is a mammogram machine at Lutheran Kosciusko Hospital’s Women’s Imaging Center. The medical recommendation is for women to begin annual mammogram testing at age 40. an is diagnosed with later stages of breast cancer, we are seeing women live years and years with the treatments that are available, and having a good quality of life.” Breast cancer detection through self-examination is also necessary for men. “It’s based on them being observant and noticing a lump or a change in their breast tissue. It’s very important that men don’t discount that,” Myles stressed. Myles suggested anyone with a Continued on page 2
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