In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and in partnership with Stamford Health, the New Canaan YMCA hosted an informative lecture led by Dr. Sarah Cate, Chief of Breast Surgery at Stamford Hospital.
The Y’s own Mary Coleman, former Membership Director, introduced the lecture, discussing her perspective on breast cancer. Having been treated for breast cancer with Dr. Cate at Stamford Hospital this year, Coleman discussed how welcoming and supportive Stamford Health’s breast oncology team had been, making her feel at ease throughout her treatment journey.
Dr. Cate led an insightful presentation, discussing various topics about breast cancer, including facts, risk factors, treatment options, and debunked myths associated with the disease.
The Facts
Dr. Cate shared that one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer over their lifetime, in addition, the rates of younger women getting breast cancer are increasing, with the disease being the second highest cause of cancer-related mortality in women 39 years and younger. In addition, women under the age of 45 comprise 11% of all breast cancer diagnoses in the United States.
Risk Factors
The importance of regular mammograms is paramount. Dr. Cate recommends that annual mammograms for average-risk women begin at age 40. Those with elevated risk, including a family history of breast cancer, genetic mutations, or other risk factors may warrant earlier or more frequent screenings. Screenings are available through Stamford Health’s high-risk program, a specialized program designed for individuals who are at an increased risk of developing breast cancer.
Treatment
Breast cancer treatment options include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and endocrine therapy. These treatment options are available at Stamford Health through programs such as cold capping, clinical trials through Dana Farber, integrative medicine, psycho-oncology, and the young and strong program.
Prevention
Dr. Cate shared three independent meta-analyses that found that physical activity significantly reduces the risk of premenopausal breast cancer development. Studies have shown that physical activity led to a 23% reduction in breast cancer cases when comparing women in the highest versus the lowest categories of amounts and types of physical activity.
To learn more about breast cancer care at Stamford Hospital, visit www.stamfordhealth.org.
For 10 years, the New Canaan YMCA and Stamford Health have partnered to provide the community with an on-site wellness nurse coordinator, doctor referrals, blood pressure screenings, expert health lectures, and on-site physical therapy.
Stamford Health is a non-profit independent health care system with more than 3,900 employees committed to caring for the community through a wide range of high-quality health and wellness services. Patients and their families receive expert, compassionate care through the system’s 305-bed Stamford Hospital; Stamford Health Medical Group, with more than 40 offices in lower Fairfield County offering primary and specialty care; a growing number of ambulatory locations across the region; and support through the Stamford Hospital Foundation.