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The Risk Factors for Breast Cancer

Cancer is a formidable foe. Among women, no cancer poses a greater threat than breast cancer, which the World Health Organization reports is the most often diagnosed cancer both in the developed and developing worlds. Gaining a greater understanding of breast cancer may not prevent the onset of this disease that kills hundreds of thousands of women each year, but it might increase the chances of early detection, which can greatly improve women’s chances of survival. The following are the established risk factors for breast cancer.

• Gender: Being female is the single biggest risk factor for developing breast cancer. Men can get breast cancer, but the risk for men is substantially smaller than it is for women. According to Breastcancer.org, roughly 190,000 women are diagnosed with invasive breast cancer each year in the United States alone.

• Age: The American Cancer Society notes that about two out of every three invasive breast cancers are found in women ages 55 and older, whereas just one out of every eight invasive breast cancers are found in women younger than 45. The WHO notes that instances of breast cancer are growing in developing countries, citing longer life expectancies as one of the primary reasons for that increase.

• Family history: According to the WHO, a family history of breast cancer increases a woman’s risk factor by two or three. Women who have had one first-degree female relative, which includes sisters, mothers and daughters, diagnosed with breast cancer are at double the risk for breast cancer than women without such family histories. The risk of developing breast cancer is five times greater for women who have two first-degree relatives who have been diagnosed with breast cancer.

• Menstrual history: Women who began menstruating younger than age 12 have a higher risk of developing breast cancer later in life than women who began menstruating after their twelfth birthdays. The earlier a woman’s breasts form, the sooner they are ready to interact with hormones and chemicals in products that are hormone disruptors. Longer interaction with hormones and hormone disruptors increases a woman’s risk for breast cancer.

• Lifestyle choices: A 2005 comparative risk assessment of nine behaviors and environmental factors published in the U.K. medical journal The Lancet found that 21 percent of all breast cancer deaths across the globe are attributable to alcohol consumption, overweight and obesity and physical inactivity. Women can do nothing to control breast cancer risk factors like gender, age and family history, but making the right lifestyle choices, including limiting alcohol consumption, maintaining a healthy weight and living an active lifestyle, can reduce the likelihood that they will develop breast cancer.

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It is estimated that more than 200,000 women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year, but we find hope in knowing that there are more than 2.9 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S. today. Great strides have been made in early detection and treatment of breast cancer, and these survivors are living proof. During Breast Cancer Awareness Month and all year, we are committed to fighting the disease with education outreach, screening tests, advanced treatment options and a team of dedicated medical professionals whose commitment to beating breast cancer never stops.

Staying vigilant of breast cancer in Dementia patients

NEWBERRY — When it comes to breast cancer, knowing your body and self checks can mean the

difference in early detection. However, for those with Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease, the simple act of telling someone they feel something may not happen.

Betty Roberts has had breast cancer twice, and is currently fighting the disease again, she has also been diagnosed with Dementia. Her daughter and caregiver, Robbiette Hazel has been with her mother during both journeys, and now helps to check her for any lumps.

“When she first found out in 2008, that

was a year after being diagnosed with Dementia she has today. At that time, mother always checked herself, all the time. She felt this place when the surgeon didn’t feel it. She kept saying, ‘it’s there, it’s there,’” Hazel said. “She made him take his finger and press and he felt a little something.”

The doctor went ahead and operated, to make sure. Afterward he came out and said Roberts was right.

“She felt something he couldn’t see on the ultrasound, and they went ahead and operated and took it out. She took radiation treatments, then stayed on preventative medicine,” Hazel said. “That has been not quite 10 years on the right side.”

Earlier this year, Roberts was diagnosed with breast cancer for a second time, this time in the left breast. Hazel said they were doing self exams in April, it was at that time her mother said, “oh, I forgot to tell you, I’ve got this place here.”

Hazel figured it would be something small, but it was big, and the doctors told them it was already a centimeter in size.

“I’m thinking to myself, this isn’t going to

be good, it’s bigger than the other. We got to the surgeon, went in for an ultrasound, while we were there they said they were going to go ahead and biopsy. After, they said they were sending us to the surgeon because it was cancer,” Hazel said. “I was crying, because of her Dementia she would think about it, then forget to tell me. When you have a Dementia patient, you are their caregiver, you try to let them bathe and do as much for themselves until they can’t do it.”

According to Hazel the doctors told her chemo would be hard on her mother because she may not be able to say how it would affect her. So they went with the preventative medicine and check ups.

With self checks, and the check ups with the doctor, they discovered recently that Roberts once again has breast cancer. This time, it is one inch in size and has grown in five months. In fact, during the course of this interview, Roberts knew something was there again with Hazel saying they had an appointment lined up to check.

“We are now experiencing it all over again, we will continue to follow the good Lord’s will, he will show us the way and we know he will,” she said.

Hazel pointed out the difference in Dementia patients between her mother’s diagnosis. The first time she felt it, she informed the doctor, but the second time she was just “watching it.”

“If she had not been a Dementia patient, we would have been on it sooner,” Hazel said.

Hazel said they will put God first in everything they do, and put their trust in him.

“We put it in his hands, and let him guide us through it because of the strong faith that we have, and I know if it wasn’t for that, I know this could have been worse,” she said.

Reach Andrew Wigger at 803-276-0625 ext. 1867 or on Twitter @TheNBOnews.

By Andrew [email protected]

Betty Roberts and her daughter Robbiette Hazel. Hazel acts as her mother’s caregiver, and helps her stay on top of her diagnosis.

Betty Roberts has survived breast cancer twice, and is fighting the disease once more.

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Staying on top of the disease

NEWBERRY — When Myrtle Strother was 35 years old she started getting annual mammograms after her cousin died from breast cancer at the

age of 32.

“After that, I talked to my doctor and he said we can start you now,” Strother said of her first mammogram.

For over 30 years, Strother has been vigilant about getting her annual mammogram, something that may have just saved her life. During her mammogram June of last year Strother was diagnosed with breast cancer. She said she couldn’t believe it at the time, and could only say, “what?”

“At this time, it was real funny, my doctor looked at me and he said, ‘I’m making the referral and do not skip this one.’ I said I’ve never skipped them, and he said, “I don’t want you to start,’” Strother said.

Strother said what they found was cancerous, and she went through a lumpectomy to remove it, as well as 30 treatments of radiation. When she went through the surgery, she said her doctors said she was blessed because it did not spread anywhere.

“The hardest part was the radiation, radiation dries your skin out so bad,” Strother said.

To help get through her cancer, Strother said she relied on her family to help get through it at first.

“I’m from a large family, I have five sisters and two brothers, and my father died of cancer,” Strother said. “Then I was like, Myrtle, you better check your faith, they can’t be with you everyday.”

So Strother prayed, which she said helped her during this time. She also credits the Oncology Center in Newberry, who she said was a really good team.

“During this time my son was like, ‘Oh mama, are you gonna die?” and I was like one day we all are,” she said. “It’s not a death sentence, I have to keep my faith up, I’ve always been a person that stays busy.”

Strother’s story is a testament to staying on top of your health. In fact, not only did her cousin die of breast cancer, but so did several of her aunts.

“Get your regular check ups, and follow your doctor’s advice. Sometimes we think we can cure it ourselves, you have to follow the doctor’s advice, and don’t skip an appointment,” Strother said. “With younger family members, I sometimes have to pull my shirt up and show them my scar. I had breast cancer, and so did this aunt, and this aunt, who died of it (she tells them).”

Strother even tells her family if they are afraid to go alone, she will go with them to give them support.

It has been over a year since Strother’s diagnosis, she is now on medication that works to make sure it doesn’t come back. She said the side effects of the medication are not nice, including hot flashes and joint aches, but she added it is helping her.

Now that she is cancer free, Strother is staying involved and working to get more involved with Relay for Life in Newberry County.

“I’m president of the sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha, and last year before I was diagnosed I just had this desire that we needed to get involved with Relay for Life,” she said. “Before that we were giving $100 a year, and I was like $100 is nothing. We participated more and we raised almost $2,000 for it.”

Reach Andrew Wigger at 803-276-0625 ext. 1867 or on Twitter @TheNBOnews.

Myrtle Strother tells her breast cancer storyBy Andrew [email protected]

Myrtle Strother was diagnosed with breast cancer after her annual mammograms. Today, she is cancer free and telling her story.

pHOTO BY ANDREW WIGGERTHE NEWBERRY OBSERvER


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Putting life in God’s hands

NEWBERRY — Syble Moon decided to put her life in God’s hands after she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1997.

She first discovered a lump in her left breast after trying to comfort her son, who would have lumps due to problems with his hormones. Her son’s lumps turned out to be nothing, but it was the first time Moon heard of men being able to have breast cancer.

“I was trying to comfort my son, saying ‘look I might have one in my breast,’ just messing with him and that’s when I discovered it,” she said.

Moon added that about a month and a half before she had went to the doctor, by the time Moon found the lump, it was the size of a lemon.

She went to her family doctor and was sent for a mammogram at Newberry County Memorial Hospital. When the tests came back doctors were concerned and sent Moon to a surgeon in Columbia.

In November of that same year, Moon was scheduled for surgery to remove the lump, the doctors did not do a biopsy.

“The doctor talked to me and asked me what I wanted to do, I said remove the lump, do what you have to do while you’re there, don’t tell me what you found when I wake up just go ahead and do what you have to do,” Moon said. “When I woke up from surgery I touched myself to see what they did, I was never really in too much pain, the

pain was when I had my mammogram done and I thought I could go back to work that day and it was painful.”

After her diagnosis, Moon said she wasn’t really worried or scared, but decided to put everything in God’s hands.

“I wasn’t really worried or scared, I mean I was a little bit concerned, I basically just put it in God’s hands, my father’s sister had breast cancer and a few cousins had it. I never thought I would go through that, I never really worried too much about it, I just put it in God’s hands and prayed a lot and read the Bible every day,” she said.

Moon went through chemotherapy, radiation and a stem cell transplant, she credits her family and church family who helped her with her kids, one of which had muscular dystrophy.

“My church family was very supportive, I read Scripture with my sister every night, church members would come by to help with my son and pray with him. I asked God to help me pull through to be there for my son, I had two sons who previously passed, I just wanted to be there to take care of him,” she said.

She added that whenever she received her diagnosis, she only told one of her sisters, she later told the rest of her family.

“I didn’t tell everybody, I didn’t want to upset them, they were more upset that I didn’t talk to them about it,” Moon said.

Moon encouraged everyone, woman or man, to get their yearly mammograms, physicals and perform self-examinations.

“You need to have your mammograms done, 1997 was the year we had our wellness exams done at my job, and I missed it that year, I just didn’t take time out to get it done. The year that I missed was the year that I should have gone. Your mammograms should be number one,” she said.

Another piece of advice Moon would give? Don’t refuse what the doctors’ offer to cure you.

“I never refused anything the doctors offered to help cure me, I heard about how chemo makes you sick and people didn’t get it because it made them sick, pray and accept the treatment that is offered, doctors are all working for God and it’s in his hands, that’s the way I looked at it,” Moon said.

Reach Kelly Duncan at 803-768-3123 ext. 1868 or on Twitter @TheNBOnews.

By Kelly [email protected]

Syble Moon leaned on her faith, family and friends while she fought breast cancer in 1997. Today, she makes it a routine to go for annual mammograms.

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Having hope for the future

NEWBERRY — It was the summer of 2007 when Cynthia Downs first felt a suspicious lump in her left breast.

After discovering the lump, Downs called her gynecologist in Columbia who advised her to be seen right away. From there, Downs was sent to have an ultrasound and sent to a radiologist where not only was the suspicious spot detected in the left breast, but also in the right breast. A biopsy was done and sent immediately to the lab.

The next day Downs received the call from her doctor who confirmed that the lump in her left breast was in fact breast cancer.

“After that it was a whirlwind of appointments,” Downs said.

Downs had a lumpectomy, but said she had to wait to have it removed.

“That was a bad time because I wanted to get the thing out,” she said.

She also had a node biopsy and when she went back to the doctor they determined she did not have to have further surgery and no evidence of cancer was detected.

Downs started four rounds of chemotherapy the following September, and also had radiation, she said she missed very little work and was never nauseous, but more so felt like she had to flu. Doctors also administered a Neulasta shot afterwards to get Downs’ white blood

cells to grow quickly.

She said with the support of her children, husband Frank, family and church friends and family she was able to remain hopeful.

“It’s important to maintain hope for your future, at times I felt like I was a fighter, it was very intense, I count myself so very blessed to have the support I had and the great medical team, church and work family,” she said.

Downs had no family history of breast cancer so when she received her diagnosis the moment was surreal.

“I’m not believing this, but this is happening, at first it was surreal when the doctor was telling me on the phone that it was cancer and I’m trying to make myself

By Kelly [email protected]

Cynthia Downs was first diagnosed with breast cancer in the summer of 2007. Today, she remains cancer free and continues getting yearly mammograms.

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listen to what he is saying and then I got really mad in that month between all of my visits. I was really angry that I was having to mess with this, it was not in my plan, it’s never in anybody’s plans and never something I thought I would have to deal with,” Downs said.

In fact, when Downs got the call her daughter and her family were at the house.

“My daughter initially was very emotional, my sons took it very seriously and very much to heart and when I started my chemo, I think the week before my oldest son’s birthday was when I had my first chemo treatment and we all knew I was going to lose my hair. So my daughter-in-laws at the time and sons all wanted to shave their heads and I told the girls do not do that, but my boys shaved their heads,” she said.

In anticipation of her hair falling out, Downs, whose hair was long at the time, went to her hairdresser to have it cut short. When her hair began to come off, her daughter shaved her head. A moment she said was very emotional for the both of them.

Downs stressed the importance of going to have annual mammograms and having a support system with you throughout the journey.

“If you find a lump, you have an alarm that goes off in your head, find out what it is immediately, don’t wait, go to your family doctor, gynecologist, whoever, but go to your medical provider. Take someone with you if you can, take someone with you to the ultrasound, take someone with you to that examination and when you are meeting for results or an examination for the first time,” she said.

She also suggested writing down any questions you may have going to appointments and maintaining as normal of a life as possible.

”Write down your questions, no question is too stupid or too small, if you want to know it, ask it and stay positive, the changes in treatment, mine has been 10 years, the treatments have changed and they have become so individualized that survival rate is so much better. You have to believe that you are going to make it, I was able to maintain my normal life as much as possible,” Downs said. “ Stay active, I started yoga when I was going through treatment, it gave me a sense of empowerment and that I had control over my body, it strengthened me both mentally and physically.”

Downs also went to a cancer support group to offer her own support to other

women who were fighting breast cancer.

”I did go to a cancer support group that Newberry County Memorial Hospital had, their staff put that together, I had such concern for women in particular who didn’t seem to have the support that I had, but I’ve always tried to reach out to somebody but not impose in any way, I just feel some women don’t have the support and somehow we have to help those women, I think people should always reach out to the folks around them, in this case women, and support them,” she said.

Downs continues to have yearly mammograms performed and said since her diagnosis there has been no evidence of disease.

Reach Kelly Duncan at 803-768-3123 ext. 1868 or on Twitter @TheNBOnews.

Continued from page 6


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Determining breast cancer stageWhen receiving treatment for

breast cancer, women will learn about cancer staging.

According to the nonprofit organization Breastcancer.org, determining the stage of the cancer helps patients and their doctors figure out the prognosis, develop a treatment plan and even decide if clinical trials are a valid option.

Typically expressed as a number on a scale of 0 through Iv, breast cancer stage is determined after careful consideration of a host of factors. The staging system, sometimes referred to as the TNM system, is overseen by the American Joint Committee on Cancer and ensures that all instances of breast cancer are described in a uniform way. This helps to compare treatment results and gives doctors and patients a better understanding of breast cancer and the ways to treat it.

Breastcancer.org notes that the TNM system was updated in 2018, but before then was based on three clinical characteristics:

• T: the size of the tumor and whether or not it has grown into nearby tissue

•N: whether the cancer is present in the lymph nodes

•M: whether the cancer has metastasized, or spread to others parts of the body beyond the breast

While each of those factors is still considered when determining breast cancer stage, starting in 2018, the AJCC added additional characteristics to its staging guidelines, which make staging more complex but also more accurate.

• Tumor grade: This is a measurement of how much the cancer cells look like normal cells.

• Estrogen- and progesterone-receptor status: This indicates if the cancer cells have receptors for the hormones estrogen and progesterone. If cancer cells are deemed estrogen-receptor-positive, then they may receive signals from estrogen that promote their growth. Similarly, those deemed progesterone-receptor-positive may receive signals from progesterone that could promote their growth. Testing for hormone receptors, which roughly two out of three breast cancers are positive for, helps doctors determine if the cancer will respond to hormonal therapy or other treatments. Hormone-receptor-positive cancers may be

treatable with medications that reduce hormone production or block hormones from supporting the growth and function of cancer cells.

•HER2 status: This helps doctors determine if the cancer cells are making too much of the HER2 protein. HER2 proteins are receptors on breast cells made by the HER2 gene. In about 25 percent of breast cancers, the HER2 gene makes too many copies of itself, and these extra genes ultimately make breast cells grow and divide in ways that are uncontrollable. HER2-positive breast cancers are more likely to spread and return than those that are HER2-negative.

•Oncotype DX score: The oncotype

DX score helps doctors determine a woman’s risk of early-stage, estrogen-receptor positive breast cancer recurring and how likely she is to benefit from post-surgery chemotherapy. In addition, the score helps doctors figure out if a woman is at risk of ductal carcinoma in situ recurring and/or at risk for a new invasive cancer developing in the same breast. The score also helps doctors figure out if such women will benefit from radiation therapy or DCIS surgery.

Determining breast cancer stage is a complex process, but one that can help doctors develop the most effective course of treatment. More information is available at www.breastcancer.org.


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Can diet prevent breast cancer from spreading?

Healthy diets that include plenty of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables that can boost the body’s natural immune system can help people in their fight against cancer. While some foods, namely unhealthy, high-fat/high-caloric foods, are

best avoided, women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer who want to prevent the spread of cancer to other areas of their bodies may want to cut some surprising foods from their diets.

preliminary research now suggests limiting the consumption of asparagine, an amino acid, to dramatically reduce the ability of cancer to spread to other parts of the body. A study published in the journal Nature found that reducing asparagine consumption in laboratory mice with triple-negative breast cancer could dramatically reduce the ability of the cancer to travel to distant sites in the body.

Asparagine is found in foods like asparagus, whole grains, soy, seafood, eggs, poultry, beef, legumes, and more. While reducing asparagine will not affect the original breast cancer tumor, it could stop cancer from showing up elsewhere in the body. Researchers suspect that many women with breast cancer do not lose their lives to the original breast cancer tumor, but instead they succumb to metastases or subsequent growths away from the primary site.

“Our study adds to a growing body of evidence that suggests diet can influence the course of the disease,” said Simon Knott, ph.D., associate director of the Center for Bioinformatics and Functional Genomics at Cedars-Sinai and one of two first authors of the study. The research from this study was conducted at more than a dozen institutions.

Apart from dietary restrictions, metastasis also could be greatly limited by reducing asparagine synthetase using chemotherapy drug L-asparaginase.

More research is needed as to whether similar results can be produced in human trials, making avoiding asparagine currently a helpful but not entirely foolproof method for preventing the spread of breast cancer to other areas of the body.


Cancer is a painful, potentially life-threatening disease. Though discomfort might be the first warning sign that compels people to visit their

physicians on the road to receiving a cancer diagnosis, cancer treatments can produce a host of side effects, including pain, as well.

According to the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, breast cancer treatments can create both long-term side effects and late side effects. Long-term side effects are those that begin during treatment and continue after all treatments have stopped, while late side effects refers to symptoms that can appear weeks, months or even years after treatments have ended.

The list of potential side effects of breast cancer treatments is lengthy, but may include the following conditions or issues.

1. Fatigue

The nonprofit organization Breastcancer.org notes that fatigue is the most common side effect of breast cancer treatments, with some estimates suggesting it affects as many as 90 percent of all patients. Some breast cancer patients may experience fatigue after treatment and find it’s worsening because they are eating less and not getting enough nutrients. In such instances, the initial fatigue may make people too tired to cook, ultimately contributing to more fatigue when they are not eating or eating convenient yet potentially unhealthy foods. Cooking healthy foods in bulk when fatigue is not overwhelming and accepting others’ offers to cook is a

great way for cancer patients to ensure their diets are helping them combat fatigue and not making fatigue worse.

2. Lymphedema

Johns Hopkins School of Medicine notes that, following breast cancer treatment, some patients may suffer from lymphedema, a condition characterized by the accumulation of lymphatic fluid in the tissues. Lymphedema most often occurs in the arms, but can contribute to swelling in other parts of the body as well. Why some people suffer from lymphedema after treatment and others don’t is a mystery, though surgeons at Johns Hopkins Breast Center have noticed a low occurrence of lymphedema in patients who have undergone sentinel node biopsies or axillary node dissection. Breast cancer patients are at risk of lymphedema for the rest of their lives after treatment, and while there’s no way to prevent it, patients should avoid getting needle sticks or blood pressure tests in arms where lymph nodes were removed. In addition, any injuries or cuts in arms where lymph nodes were removed should be treated with vigilance.

3. Infertility

Many women will stop menstruating while undergoing chemotherapy or after chemo treatments, and that cessation is often temporary. These irregularities may be traced to hormonal therapies that make the ovaries stop producing eggs. However, in some instances, even premenopausal women may have trouble getting

pregnant after hormonal therapy. Breastcancer.org notes that women whose periods do not return after treatment may still be fertile, but also notes that women who are close to menopause when beginning chemo may become permanently infertile. Women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer who are concerned about post-treatment infertility should speak with their physicians immediately about their prospects of getting pregnant after treatment, including fertility treatments and the potential safety risks of getting pregnant after being diagnosed with breast cancer.

Breast cancer treatments save lives every day. When discussing treatments with their physicians, breast cancer patients should ask questions about potential short- and long-term side effects.

3 Potential side effects of breast cancer treatments


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Did You Know?While the vast majority of breast cancer diagnoses involve women, men are not immune to the disease. According to the American Cancer Society, the lifetime risk of getting breast cancer is about one in 1,000 among men in the United States. By comparison, the risk for women in the United States is one in eight. While a man’s risk for breast cancer is considerably lower than a woman’s, the ACS still estimates that roughly 480 men will die from breast cancer in 2018, when more than 2,500 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in men. In addition, the ACS notes that black men diagnosed with breast cancer tend to have a worse prognosis than white men.

Though breast cancer may be a disease widely associated with women, men should not hesitate to report any discomfort to their physicians, as the National Cancer Institute notes that men are often diagnosed with breast cancer at a later stage than women. The ACS suggests that men may be less likely to report symptoms, thereby leading to delays in diagnosis. The more advanced the cancer is at the time of diagnosis, the lower the patient’s survival rate. Men are urged to report any discomfort or abnormalities in their chests to their physicians immediately.

Men have a small amount of breast tissue, and that means they can be affected by breast cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, men’s breast tissue has ducts, but only few, if any, lobules. That’s because men do not have enough female hormones to promote the growth of breast cells. Breast cancer can be separated into several types based on what the cancer cells look like under the microscope. They can be in-situ, meaning non-invasive or pre-invasive. They also may be invasive types that have spread to the ducts in the breast tissue. Breast cancer is about 100 times less common among men than among women. Only about 2,600 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in men this year. But men who feel lumps or other anomalies in the area around the nipple should consult their physicians.



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Special Supplement to · more than 2.9 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S. today. Great strides have been made in early detection and treatment of breast cancer, and these