Study shows women of African ancestry diagnosed with more virulent form of breast cancer

Number of posts : 306 Points : 1166 Registration date : 2008-05-03

http://chronicle.uchicago.edu/050428/africanbc.shtml

Geyla, please educate us yah. I just came across this article which was published several years ago. Will log on later as I'm running late for a meeting.

Breast cancer is killing a lot of women in Africa and i think this should draw our attention. We need to sent africans abroad to study the cause and learn how to treat it instead of African leaders stealing billion of dollars and died leaving it with swiss bank investor while their people suffer. What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul...

breast cancer is a serious matter here....
its hit close to home for me...

Queen_AKA wrote:: http://chronicle.uchicago.edu/050428/africanbc.shtml

Geyla, please educate us yah. I just came across this article which was published several years ago. Will log on later as I'm running late for a meeting.

been so busy today--> th_business_women

, but will read when I get home. As some of you know, I've been involved with a breast cancer research program for the past 5 years. It's with the nursing dept at Georgia State University along the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation...and our people are really missing the mark and is the hardest group to work...You know white females get breast cancer more often than black females....but our mortality rate is so much higher....will elaborate later.

In Minnesota they had a breast cancer program called Bras Across America or something like that and people paid a $1.00 for as many bras as women could provide. The people here raised thousands. We could do that to help fund something or somekinna awareness program back home.

Number of posts : 306 Points : 1166 Registration date : 2008-05-03

So, what happens to a lady who is diagnosed with breast cancer in Liberia? Do they have a cancer center in Liberia? What are her choices?

Number of posts : 1145 Points : 562 Registration date : 2008-04-25

There is a dynamic yuong Liberian here in the DC area named Maimah Karmo and she is a true hero! Maimah is a breast cancer survivor and she now runs a foundation dedicated to helping women and girls deal courageously with breast cancer. I've known Maimah since she was in the 4th or 5th grade and when my mother was diagnosed with BC, Maimah was one of the first people I turned to. She was an amazing source of information, inspiration, and encouragement.

Check out her story at http://www.tigerlilyfoundation.org/home.html

Last edited by candygirl on Thu May 08, 2008 8:28 pm; edited 3 times in total

when BC hit my family, it had already progressed to Stage 3. the doc who diagnosed her at the time told her " you sitting down here you dont know you dying from cancer???" she was shocked, scared, confused. when she called and told me, i started crying... "but how come? i thought you got to be old to get cancer? you not even 40 yet!!" we found out that there was no facility equipped to treat the cancer in the country and were faced with delima of sending her Ghana or one of the other african countries for treatment. she went ghana, but at the time ( 7 years ago) they were equally unequip to deal with it.

Blessedly, we were able to get her to go to the usa for treatment. they treated her with chemo for 6 months.. you all know how it goes, loss of hair, weakness, etc. , she recovered and a partial masectomy was done. two years later, it came back full blown.. by the time it was noticed this time, it had spread to her lungs and caused severe damage. this time, radiation was done. for a while there it was touch and go... scary.

now, a year later, she is completely healed. besides having to move around with a small oxygen tank once in a while cuz of the damage to her lungs, you wouldnt know she had survived two bouts of cancer.

a mighty woman of faith. a strong and Phenomenal Woman. even on her sick bed, she was being an inspiration to so many.

she is a survivor.....my mom.

candygirl wrote:: a mighty woman of faith. a strong and phenomenal (sp??) woman. even on her sick bed, she was being an inspiration to so many.

she is a survivor.....my mom.

she sure is a "Phenomenal Woman"

PHENOMENAL WOMAN
by Maya Angelou

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies
I'm not cute or built to suit a model's fashion size
But when I start to tell them
They think I'm telling lies.
I say
It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips
The stride of my steps
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally
Phenomenal woman
That's me.

I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please
And to a man
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees
Then they swarm around me
A hive of honey bees.
I say
It's the fire in my eyes
And the flash of my teeth
The swing of my waist
And the joy in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally
Phenomenal woman
That's me.

Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me
They try so much
But they can't touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can't see.
I say
It's in the arch of my back
The sun of my smile
The ride of my breasts
The grace of my style.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally
Phenomenal woman
That's me.
Now you understand
Just why my head's not bowed
I don't shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say
It's in the click of my heels
The bend of my hair
The palm of my hand
The need for my care.
'Cause I'm a woman
Phenomenally
Phenomenal woman
That's me.

Study shows women of African ancestry diagnosed with more virulent form of breast cancer Pinkribbon2

This goes out to all the Breast Cancer survivors out there.

a mighty woman of faith. a strong and Phenomenal Woman. even on her sick bed, she was being an inspiration to so many. smile_approve

so true-my family says tanq to her o. in our owna trobo-she stood there as a mother!!!!!

candygirl wrote:: when BC hit my family, it had already progressed to Stage 3. the doc who diagnosed her at the time told her " you sitting down here you dont know you dying from cancer???" she was shocked, scared, confused. when she called adn told me, i started rying... "but how come? i thought you got to be old to get cancer? you not even 40 yet!!" we found out that there was no facility equipped to treat the cancer in the country and were faced with delima of ending her Ghana or one of the other african countries for treatment. she went ghana, butat the time ( 7 years ago) they were equally unequip to deal with it.

Blessedly, we were able to get her to go to the usa for treatment. they treated her with chemo for 6 months.. you all know how it goes, loss of hair, weakness, et. , she recovered and a partial masectomy was done. two years later, it came back full blown.. by the time it was noticed this time, it had spread to her lungs and caused severe damage. this time, radiation was done. for a while there it was touch and go... scary.

now, a year later, she is completely healed. besides having to move around with a small oxygen tank once in a while cuz of the damage to her lungs, you wouldnt know she had survived two bouts of cancer.

a mighty woman of faith. a strong and Phenomenal Woman. even on her sick bed, she was being an inspiration to so many.

she is a survivor.....my mom.

am not doubting you Candy, but it can't be ur mom... Because that woman is so strong and you can never tell she been through such..... Up to present Candy, is there and program for BC here (Liberia)?

Had an aunt in the late 80's who had two of her breast removed, but the cancer had spread beyon control which cost her life..
I was a pekin at then, but I can remember, she used to asked us to go and find leach for her, to suck the bad blood from her breast.... I didn't it was cancer at then.. but she really suffer...and was my favorit aunt.

candygirl wrote:: when BC hit my family, it had already progressed to Stage 3. the doc who diagnosed her at the time told her " you sitting down here you dont know you dying from cancer???"

And this is the case for so many African American females…including myself. When we are finally diagnosed it usually too late or in it's advanced staged. Thank God my ovarian tumor turnout to not be cancerous. I did end up loosing my right ovary though Sad

:

...because the tumors had taken over and it couldn’t be saved.

You just have to be your own health advocate these days. All they had to do was a simple pelvic ultrasound and they would have found the tumors early when I kept complaining about having pains. I know better now, I do my BSE (breast self-exam), I read and I inquire about things. Any small thing that looks strange or pain, I calling my doctor to ask about it. I be self diagnosing myself smile_approve

.

Last edited by Geyla Queen on Thu May 08, 2008 10:14 pm; edited 1 time in total

Like the article said there is not enough date on us. All these researches are usually done on white females. I can only speak on the work I'm done here in the US with Breast Cancer, and we found that one of the reason for the lack of data is because Black females are not willing to partake in these studies...so we really have ourselves to blame partly.

This is the program that I worked with from 2003-2007, all the display stuff "Sugar" and I did (she was apart of it too from 2002-2007).....if you look you'll find me on one of the pages...it's a ugly pic (so I will not point it out : smile_tongue

)

http://womenshealthnavigators.org/

I also just like to say CANCER IS CANCER it does not matter which form it comes in.

Men your please get check for prostate cancer too na. We are loosing too many YOUNG men from this as well.....oh and YES men can get breast cancer too.

oh oh

forgive my ingorance

RossWorld wrote:: oh oh forgive my ingorance

about?

RossWorld wrote:: am not doubting you Candy, but it can't be ur mom... Because that woman is so strong and you can never tell she been through such..... Up to present Candy, is there and program for BC here (Liberia)?

Had an aunt in the late 80's who had two of her breast removed, but the cancer had spread beyon control which cost her life..
I was a pekin at then, but I can remember, she used to asked us to go and find leach for her, to suck the bad blood from her breast.... I didn't it was cancer at then.. but she really suffer...and was my favorit aunt.

WOW!!

:

, so sorry to here this Ross, my she RIP

Ross,

I was also friendly with a family whose mom and oldest daughter both died from breast cancer. Cleo and her mom of the Minor family were my neighbors, Sis Cleo had both breasts removed like you said, the disease had spread and she later died.

I don't see the Buster and Edwin anymore, but the doctors had told them that they should always make sure to tell their grand kids and daughters to do check ups since it seems to be in the blood line.

Breast cancer is not a joke...It is painful.

My grand aunt recently passed away 1year 1/2 ago from cancer. She didn't even know she had it. Sad

http://images.google.com/images?q=posters+on+breast+cancer&um=1&hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&start=20&sa=N&ndsp=20
To all breast cancer survivor

Traveller wrote:: There is a dynamic yuong Liberian here in the DC area named Maimah Karmo and she is a true hero! Maimah is a breast cancer survivor and she now runs a foundation dedicated to helping women and girls deal courageously with breast cancer. I've known Maimah since she was in the 4th or 5th grade and when my mother was diagnosed with BC, Maimah was one of the first people I turned to. She was an amazing source of information, inspiration, and encouragement.

Check out her story at [url=http://www.tigerlilyfoundation.org/home.html

http://www.tigerlilyfoundation.org/home.html[/quote[/url]]

I heard about this girl and what she is doing in Liberia. She supplied a mammogram machine to the hospital in Liberia and they were supposed to start doing mammograms on women. That is an example how one woman can make a difference in the battle against breast cancer.

candygirl wrote:: when BC hit my family, it had already progressed to Stage 3. the doc who diagnosed her at the time told her " you sitting down here you dont know you dying from cancer???" she was shocked, scared, confused. when she called and told me, i started crying... "but how come? i thought you got to be old to get cancer? you not even 40 yet!!" we found out that there was no facility equipped to treat the cancer in the country and were faced with delima of sending her Ghana or one of the other african countries for treatment. she went ghana, but at the time ( 7 years ago) they were equally unequip to deal with it.

Blessedly, we were able to get her to go to the usa for treatment. they treated her with chemo for 6 months.. you all know how it goes, loss of hair, weakness, etc. , she recovered and a partial masectomy was done. two years later, it came back full blown.. by the time it was noticed this time, it had spread to her lungs and caused severe damage. this time, radiation was done. for a while there it was touch and go... scary.

now, a year later, she is completely healed. besides having to move around with a small oxygen tank once in a while cuz of the damage to her lungs, you wouldnt know she had survived two bouts of cancer.

a mighty woman of faith. a strong and Phenomenal Woman. even on her sick bed, she was being an inspiration to so many.

she is a survivor.....my mom.

God is good Candy, Thank Him that your mom is ok again.

God is good, but we have to help Him too. Is there no clinic where women can get a mammogram back home? (especially since the self test doesn't always work)

From Maima's page

Exam Steps:

Step 1: Begin by looking at your breasts in the mirror with your shoulders straight and your arms on your hips.
Here's what you should look for:
* breasts that are their usual size, shape, and color.
* breasts that are evenly shaped without visible distortion or swelling.
* If you see any of the following changes, bring them to your doctor's attention:
* dimpling, puckering, or bulging of the skin.
* a nipple that has changed position or an inverted nipple (pushed inward instead of sticking out).
* redness, soreness, rash, or swelling.

Step 2: Now, raise your arms and look for the same changes.
Step 3: While you're at the mirror, gently squeeze each nipple between your finger and thumb and check for nipple discharge (this could be a milky or yellow fluid or blood).

Step 4: Next, feel your breasts while lying down, using your right hand to feel your left breast and then your left hand to feel your right breast. Use a firm, smooth touch with the first few fingers of your hand, keeping the fingers flat and together.

Cover the entire breast from top to bottom, side to side—from your collarbone to the top of your abdomen, and from your armpit to your cleavage.

Follow a pattern to be sure that you cover the whole breast. You can begin at the nipple, moving in larger and larger circles until you reach the outer edge of the breast. You can also move your fingers up and down vertically, in rows, as if you were mowing a lawn. Be sure to feel all the breast tissue: just beneath your skin with a soft touch and down deeper with a firmer touch. Begin examining each area with a very soft touch, and then increase pressure so that you can feel the deeper tissue, down to your ribcage.

Step 5: Finally, feel your breasts while you are standing or sitting. Many women find that the easiest way to feel their breasts is when their skin is wet and slippery, so they like to do this step in the shower. Cover your entire breast, using the same hand movements described in Step 4.

saw this somewhere and thought of sharing it.................

My wife, Carol, is a breast cancer survivor. Carol got cancer at age thirty, with quick treatment, careful follow up, and many prayers, she has survived and been cancer free for over fifteen years. If she hadn't survived, I would have never met her and our daughter would not have been born. Please monitor yourself and get regular checkups. This disease can strike women and men at just about any age.

» African Women Care less about Orgasm...
» Intl Women Colloquium Ends in Liberia with Focus on Empowerment of Liberian Women
» Scientific study: Having MORE sex is good!
» Why Most Women like to Nag?
» Women's Colloquium