October 7, 2005
Albany -- Health care advocates are wearing pink to promote Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Dozens of people wore pink shirts and carried pink balloons in Albany Friday, to promote cancer prevention exams.
Breast cancer kills 40-thousand Americans every year, both men and women. WALB Television is partnering with Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital, to try to cut those fatal cancer numbers.
Michelle Bass brought her 22 month old twin daughters, Kaylee and Campbell, for the Second Annual Breast Cancer Awareness Walk. Bass said "I have a friend who is a breast cancer survivor, so we want to show our support."
Pink was the dress code, from shirts to balloons, as dozens of Phoebe Putney employees walked around the hospital grounds. It's to promote monthly breast self examinations, for early detection. Carlton Breast Cancer Medical Director Dr. Eileen Kenny said "About ten percent of breast cancer is not seen on a mammogram, so this is critical. We have women coming in that have large masses that they feel."
WALB TV's Karen Collier and Tonya Kilpatrick will be leading the Buddy Check Ten program. Every month on the tenth they will reminding viewers to do a self exam. Collier said "Actually this year I had a lump removed. Fortunately for me it was benign. But it just brings to light the fact that every woman, regardless of age, needs to do a breast self exam." Kilpatrick said "To be aware of your body, so yes, this will make a huge impact."
Women over 40 should do monthly self exams, and once a year have a doctor's exam and mammography. 200-thousand new cases of breast cancer are found each year, and most can be cured if caught early.
Michelle Bass has started her daughters early on the path for a healthy lifestyle, keeping aware of breast cancer's danger.
Men also are victims of breast cancer. Men whose Mother had breast cancer should also do monthly exams for lumps around their breasts.
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