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What
Every Women Should Know About Breast Care Options
Dear Family & Friends,
I hope you are all happy and healthy.
I have been recently moved, by all of the media education on
Breast Cancer. We go through our everyday lives, working and taking
care of our own families, but
many times we do not always take the time to focus on ourselves.
One weekend while my parents were
visiting, I asked my mother if she had had her yearly mammogram.
I was shocked to find out that she had not had an examination
in two years, nor did she perform
regular breast exams on herself. From our conversations, I realized
that knowledge is power and
if others were just as uninformed as she was, they would not have
the opportunity to make the
best decisions about breast care for themselves.
Currently, I consult for one of Johnson
& Johnson’s companies called Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. This
consulting opportunity allows me to work with physicians and nurses
during surgery. I observe cases
such as mastectomies and breast biopsies, along with other
surgical cases. When I sat
in on my first breast biopsy, I was shocked to find out that mastectomies
were such an invasive procedure
and that for me and many other women, this was the only option
presented by medical professionals
to diagnoses breast lumps. This procedure requires removal of
breast tissue and was performed
while the individuals were under general anesthesia.
Historically, 80% of all breast biopsies
are benign! What that means to you, is, if you detect a lump,
and breast tissue is removed by the above procedure, and the results
are benign, you are now left
with a missing piece of breast. If the tissue samples are malignant,
doctors would then have to
go back in and remove more breast tissue. That results in two
surgical procedures.
Wouldn’t it have been better to take
a small piece of tissue and have it analyzed to find out the same
result? It is possible.
Biopsys is a sister company of Ethicon
Endo-Surgery, Inc. and they focus strictly on breast care. They
have a minimally invasive product called Mammotome Breast
Biopsy. It is a Stereotactic needle
biopsy. It allows you to be awake while the doctor utilizes a
needle to extract several samples
of breast tissue for analyzing. There is minimal if any pain involved
and you have your breast still
in tact.
Oprah Winfrey recently showed the
Mammotome technology, on her "Breast Cancer Eating"
how. Lifetime Television for
Women recently aired a half-hour show on educating us on Breast
Cancer and featured the Mammotome
System. They believe women have the right to know what kind
of care is available. You have the power to request the use
of Mammotome should you need
a breast biopsy. Doctors all over the country are being educated
on the use of this minimally
invasive procedure.
I love and care about all of you
and wanted you to know that you have options at your disposal.
Tell your mothers, sisters,
grandmothers, aunts, cousins, girlfriends, and co-workers.
One in every eight women
will be affected. Early detection is the key to recovery.
By being educated now,
you will be able to make your choice based on knowledge and not
on emotions. I too was educated
on the options we as women have in relating to breast care and
felt an obligation to share
this information with my sister-girlfriends.
Love,
Becky
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