ALBANY, GA (WALB) -
It is breast cancer awareness month the disease kills thousands of women every year.
The Turner Job Corps Endowment Female Professional Development Program hosted a Breast Cancer Celebration Walk.
The walk celebrated survivors of breast cancer and will give special honors to one of their community partners.
It was a celebration of life at Turner Job Corps, and the life these girls were celebrating was Tina Phipps.
She is one of the Endowment Program community partners and she is a breast cancer survivor.
She was diagnosed in 2000 and it recurred in 2008 with bone metastasis. It has now spread to her liver.
"I found out, I worked with a wonderful set of doctors at Phoebe and the cancer center, I took part in some clinical trials for breast cancer, I got excellent treatment and it was just a very smooth process," said Tina Phipps, Breast Cancer Survivor.
Unfortunately, breast cancer is the most common cancer affecting women.
"We tend to see breast cancer that presents at a later stage, and so one of the most important things about this month is trying to increase awareness so we can find the breast cancer cases at a much earlier stage," said Phipps.
Which is why it is so important for events like this one to raise awareness about early detection.
"You want to go out and get your mammograms before there is a problem and not wait to see your doctors when you feel a mass or if you are having breast discolorations, or pain or swelling, because usually at that point the breast cancer is at a pretty advanced stage," said Phipps.
Doctors say it's important for women to do self-exams because early detection is key to surviving breast cancer.
"If you feel anything or think anything is going on, we are very in tune with our bodies, and sometimes we know things are going on when sometimes the doctors may not know and he doesn't know what you don't tell him," said Phipps.
All proceeds from the event will be donated to the Carlton Breast Health Center in Celebration of Tina Phipps.
Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital is hosting its annual Women's Health Conference Saturday from 8 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. at Phoebe HealthWorks.
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