Dr. Ryan Grote, a surgeon at Kettering Health Hamilton, said the earlier a lesion is detected, the better the outcome for the patient.
“We have increased modalities, especially technology, to help us identify these lesions, then biopsy them, and then get them to treatment, as well as surgical options,” he said.
Breast cancer affects one in eight women and 1% of all breast cancers are found in men.
“You’re not going to find someone that doesn’t know someone,” said Dr. Deanne Jacobs, a Kettering Health Hamilton general surgeon, and partner with Grote and surgeon Dr. Nate Han. “It’s very common, but it’s also very treatable, especially when caught early.”
For Jacobs, it’s her grandmother and twin sister.
Credit: Michael D. Pitman
Credit: Michael D. Pitman
“There are still women that don’t realize they should be getting their mammograms every year, even if they’re not high risk,” she said. “Some women, I think, are scared. There are some women that think that they’re gonna gonna they’re going to feel it, and that’s gonna be the first sign, and that’s not true.”
With improved technology and imaging, cancerous legions are caught when they’re “really, really small,” Jacobs said. “So if they’re really small, there’s less we have to do to treat it.”
But women, especially those who are at high risk of developing breast cancer, including those with a family history, should be examined at regular intervals for exams and mammograms.
“Those are things that are catching the small lesions. The earlier you catch it, the easier it is to treat, the better the outcomes and higher the survival rate,” he said, adding that events like Pink Around the Square health expos, regular conversations, and regular testing help make the disease less scary.
“I know that some people, do get embarrassed to come for their mammograms, they feel that they’re being exposed, but it’s just great knowing that this is becoming a more commonplace,” Han said. “This is a really important thing to take care of, so we’re making it more common, more easy to talk about.”
Credit: Michael D. Pitman
Credit: Michael D. Pitman
About the Author
