Page 114 - South Mississippi Living - October, 2023

HEALTHY LIVING
CURING
Breast Cancer
VIA PREVENTION
story by Dr. Nickie Harris-Ray photo courtesy of Singing River Health System
Everything is pink outside and no, it’s not Barbie. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
As knowledgeable Gulf Coast residents, we support events that acknowledge this disease that, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is the most common cancer among women in the US, excluding skin cancer.
Recently, research on breast cancer treatment has begun focusing on ways to stop women from ever developing cancer. Singer River Health Systems Oncologist Dr. Techksell “Teka” Washington acknowledges that while there are numerous ways to treat cancer, prevention is a much better path to chances of a breast cancer-free future.
In 2020, about 240,000 new cases of breast cancer among females were reported per the CDC. In Mississippi, 2,100 cases were reported that year, a rate of about 115 cases per 100,000.
Dr. Washington, who serves as the medical director of oncology with Singing River, feels that recognizing that breast cancer
is more heterogeneous and not
a stand-alone entity will lead to more understanding of how it progresses. The American Cancer Society tells us that most breast cancers are carcinoma tumors that start in cells that line tissues
and organs throughout the body. These tumors are called adenocarcinomas within the breasts’ milk ducts and within the lobular glands that make breast milk.
Breast cancer may also be classified by whether the tumor is in situ (precancerous) within the milk ducts or invasive/infiltrating
the surrounding breast tissue.
Also, there are particular cancers like triple negative (TNBC) and inflammatory (IBC). With TNBC, cancer tissue will stain negative for progesterone, estrogen, and the protein HER2 receptors. With IBC, cancer cells block lymph vessels in the breast, causing them to be red, hot, and swollen. Many times, IBC can be mistaken for an infection.
Any combination of surgery
plus chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, and radiation may be used for breast cancer treatment. Dr. Washington emphasizes that the best way to treat breast cancer is
to prevent it. She specializes in risk
Dr. Techksell “Teka” Washington.
114 | October 2023
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