I got to make a special trip to Albion today to do a presentation and had 24 seniors plus staff for the program. When I talk I try to bring out my walk with breast cancer, the sad and funny times and the new technology that is out there. It wasn't but a few years ago that BRCA 1 and BRCA 2, Oncotype, Fat Grafts,Tattoing, and more would have been considered a foreign language and now we talk about these things on an every day basis. People often think that there is nothing new under the sun and that cancer treatment and outcomes are all the same. Times are a changing! Cancer is now being discussed as a chronic illness. There is more awareness than ever before. Men are understanding that they are at risk and younger women are finding out that they are not exempt. The good news is that with the awareness, we have become more proactive and that is the best tool to fighting this disease that there is. We discuss clinical trials and new procedures and new and or different combination of drugs and those people that have stage IV cancer are living ( and I do mean living) longer than ever before. Research is our best opportunity for us to advance our training and skills and better be able to help the patient. We never used to discuss Inflammatory Breast disease and now it is openly talked about. The monies that we put into those organizations that outreach to patients afflicted with cancer and for research makes each day closer to getting the answers and getting it right. In the mean time I will continue to go and outreach to groups and bring education to them. It is a hot one out there folks to take care and drink fluids and do what is healthy and right for you. Making it a great day! S
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AuthorMy name is Sue Kilburn and I am a clinical nurse breast cancer educator at the Yolanda G. Barco Oncology Institute in Meadville, Pennsylvania. Archives
March 2015
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