Throughout the month of October, UM Shore Regional Health will observe Breast Cancer Awareness month with various activities aimed at increasing awareness of breast cancer and how it can be best prevented, detected and treated.
Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women. About one in eight U.S. women (about 12%) will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime. The nonprofit organization breastcancer.org estimates that in 2019, 268,600 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in women in the U.S., along with nearly 63,000 new cases of non-invasive breast cancer. In men, more than 2,600 new cases of invasive breast cancer are anticipated to be diagnosed in men.
Photo: Front row, l-r: nurse practitioner Brittany Krautheim; Latonya Ferguson, breast cancer survivor and volunteer; and Clark Comprehensive Breast Center Medical Director Roberta Lilly, MD. Back row, l-r: Joanie Peters, medical assistant; Robin Ford, nurse navigator; Lisa Foster and Shalonda Gibbs, front desk coordinators; Catalina Billings, outreach coordinator; and Connie Branham, lead mammographer at the Leh Women’s Center.
Planned activities at UM Shore Regional Health this month include the following:
Pink Ribbon Hanging and Tree Lighting Ceremony: Thursday, October 3, 4 p.m., UM Shore Medical Center at Easton, front circle. The public welcome to attend this occasion during which Cancer Center volunteers and staff as they hang pink ribbons on the evergreen tree in honor of the breast cancer patients treated this year by the Center. The tree will be lit with pink lights and serve as a month-long reminder of the friends, neighbors and loved ones whose lives have been touched by breast cancer.
Pink Hair Extensions: Thursday, October 3, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Cancer Center at UM Shore Regional Health, 509 Idlewild Avenue, Easton. Provided by local stylist Penny Metje of Headrush 180 Salon, the cost is $10 per extension.
Free Genetic Counseling: Wednesdays, October 9 and 23, Cancer Center. An appointment is required; please call 410-820-9400.
Genetics Lunch and Learn: 12 p.m., Wednesday, October 16 p.m., Cancer Center Conference Room. Katie Bisordi, certified genetics counselor for University of Maryland at Baltimore, will speak on genetics and breast cancer. For more information about this event, contact Jeanie Scott, 410-822-1000, ext. 5098.
Breast Cancer Outreach: To provide information about breast cancer prevention and resources for diagnosis, treatment and support, Outreach Coordinator Catalina Billings will visit primary care and women’s care medical practices as well as community health care settings throughout the five-county region, as follows: Talbot County on Mondays, October 7 and 14; Dorchester County on Thursday, October 10; Kent and Queen Anne’s counties on Tuesday, October 15; and Caroline County on Monday, October 21. To learn more about specific locations for these visits, contact Billings, 410-820-9400, ext. 7154.
As part of the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS), University of Maryland Shore Regional Health is the principal provider of comprehensive health care services for more than 170,000 residents of Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot counties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. UM Shore Regional Health’s team of more than 2,500 employees, medical staff, board members, and volunteers works with various community partners to fulfill the organization’s mission of Creating Healthier Communities Together.
Write a Letter to the Editor on this Article
We encourage readers to offer their point of view on this article by submitting the following form. Editing is sometimes necessary and is done at the discretion of the editorial staff.