When Nancy Brinker started Susan G. Komen for the Cure in honor of her sister Suzy, she faced many obstacles that today have been knocked aside. She couldn’t use the word “breast” in her publicity for the first Race. Some women who wanted to help were held back by husbands who were uncomfortable with their association with a “breast” organization. No one wanted to talk about, or think about, breast health and breast cancer. It was a taboo subject.Today, we educate women in the US openly about breast cancer and screening and prevention. Our breast cancer Survivors proudly don the pink t-shirt at our Komen NC Triad Race. We know that open discussion and educate helps in so many ways, from enhancing outreach and increasing utilization of mammography to helping women facing the disease feel less isolated and embarrassed by it.A new reason to talk openly about breast cancer, particularly within families, has emerged in a new study at Georgetown. An excerpt from the article at Medical News Today:
Whether or not relatives talk about the family’s history of cancer significantly impacts attitudes and knowledge about genetic counseling and testing for those at moderate risk of developing breast cancer, according to a new preliminary study presented at the American Society for Preventive Oncology meeting in Bethesda, Md. Prior research has shown that African Americans participate less often in genetic counseling and testing for the genes that put women at risk for breast cancer than Caucasians. Also, African Americans are often diagnosed with a later stage of breast cancer and thus are more likely to die from the disease. ”In this study, we evaluated the impact of socio-cultural variables on knowledge and attitudes about BRCA 1/2 counseling and testing. We hope to use this information to better understand why there’s a difference in testing uptake among black and white women.” After controlling for education, income, and socio-cultural variables like medical mistrust and cancer fatalism, “We did observe a difference …among women who said their families discussed their cancer history versus those families who didn’t discuss cancer. The more family members the women talked with, the greater the level of knowledge about genetic counseling and testing.
As we continue to make strides with research around genetic components of breast cancer and other diseases, it becomes more and more vital for each of us to have solid knowledge and a clear understanding of our family medical history. I hope that this is discussion that happens in your extended family.
