Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Breast cancer awareness month is about more than wearing pink, fun runs and proclamations. These are great, and important – they do get people’s attention, hence the ‘raising awareness’ part.  But the purpose of raising all this awareness is to inspire ACTION! To persuade and encourage women to get that mammogram done! It’s about learning WHAT you’re supposed to do so you can prevent, or defeat, breast cancer!  And then doing it!

Women of American Samoan – you are very, very blessed.

You have a Breast & Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program at the Department of Health which provides free screening mammograms to women age 40 and over. They also teach you how to do self-breast exams and provide free cervical cancer screening. The team of Moira, Mary and Vasa, and others, provide friendly service and referrals. Between 2012 and 2017 they served 930 women with mammogram referrals and 2713 women for breast cancer screening and diagnostic services (2018, April – Minimum Data Elements for American Samoa). Of the 1160 mammograms provided, 124 returned abnormal results (suspicious for cancer).

If you have a family history of breast cancer – mother, grandmother, aunt, sister, first cousin diagnosed with breast cancer – then you have a higher risk of developing it as well.

Remember, ONE in THREE people will be diagnosed with some form of cancer in their lifetime. Having a mammogram done, even if you have to pay for it yourself at the LBJ Radiology department, is worth the cost.

Of the 83 patients who received stipends from the Community Cancer Coalition, 11 were diagnosed at age 40 or younger – 13%

According to the Susan B. Komen website fewer than 5 percent of women diagnosed with breast cancer in the US are younger than 40.

The median age for breast cancer diagnosis in the US is 62.

In American Samoa, according to the Cancer Coalition’s stipend database, the median age is 43.

Of the 83 breast cancer patients who received stipends from the Community Cancer Coalition since 2007, 45 were diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. This means the cancer has spread from the breast to other parts of the body. This means the cancer is harder to treat.

Approximately 160,000 women in the US are living with metastatic breast cancer. They are fighting the disease every day. For these women treatment is used to relieve pain, to slow down the disease, and give them a better and longer quality of life. About 34% of these women have lived with the disease for five years or more (2017, National Cancer Institute). 

To have a fighting chance DO THIS:

WHAT TO DO:  have a mammogram done

WHEN TO DO IT:  on your birthday every year

HOW & WHERE TO DO IT:  call the DOH Breast & Cervical Cancer program at 633-2135 to enroll in their program OR contact the LBJ Radiology department to make an appointment for a mammogram.

TIPS:  don’t wear deodorant before the exam, don’t do the mammogram during the days leading up to your menstrual cycle when your breasts may be tender and sensitive, wear a top that’s easy to remove.

About half of the Cancer Coalition stipend recipients say they will go off island for treatment. More patients are being treated successfully than ever before, and in the last 10 years we have witnessed a growing number of cancer survivors from all local ethnic groups. But the chances of getting off island, and of being treated successfully are still low compared to the US. 

Cancer fights back. The longer it takes to find it, and treat it, the stronger the Cancer becomes. A mammogram may be a little uncomfortable for a few minutes, but it’s nothing compared to the pain of a lifetime of fighting this disease or losing your life.

Take action and get that Mammogram done today!