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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 26, 2014)
Regional News Evergreen High School We The People Constitution Team Headed to National Competition Lisa Loving Of The Skanner News A few tickets will be available at the door for the Susan G. Komen Oregon and South- west Washington 16th Annual Breast-Cancer Issues Conference, coming up Saturday, March 1, from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. the Lloyd Center Doubletree Hotel in Portland. This year, organizers say a significant focus is on sur- vival and health of African American women; one entire track is focused on the community’s special needs around breast cancer awareness. Keynote speaker is Lisa Coussens, PhD, of Oregon Health and Science Univer- work of Oregon & SW Washington, a support group for Black women with breast cancer. “This may motivate them to get a mammogram, because African American women and people of color have, in a lot of cases, a higher death rate compared to others.” There are four session tracks to the conference, which boasts a surprising range of offerings from sci- entific information to emotional needs, diet and health. One track of three ses- sions is entirely about what African American women need to know about breast cancer. Session one, “Triple Negative Breast Cancer,” covers this most aggressive of diagnoses, including ‘We do know that African American women, a lot of times young African American women, are diagnosed with a more aggressive type of breast cancer’ sity's Knight Cancer Institute, who offers an overview of current breast cancer research and treat- ment. Another standout speaker is Nathalie Johnson, M.D., a breast surgeon who is med- ical director of Legacy Cancer Institute and Legacy Breast Health Centers. “I think definitely in the African-American commu- nity, and with other women of color, we need to under- stand our risk,” says Kim Moreland of the Sisters Net- treatment options; second is “Breast Cancer: Not Just a White Woman’s Disease,” presented by Nathalie John- son from Legacy; and “Hereditary Breast Cancer Syndromes: Beyond the Breast/Ovarian Duo,” which looks at genetic risk factors. Johnson will also deliver the session about environ- mental impacts, “What’s getting into You?” The issue is a matter of life and death, as research shows African American PHOTO COURTESY OF EVERGREEN HIGH SCHOOL Komen Issues Conference Focuses on Black Women Vancouver, Wash - Evergreen High School (EHS) We the People Constitution Team have been invited to represent Washington State at the National Championships in Washington D.C. April 25- 29. This is the first time in 27 years that a team outside of King/Pierce County will represent the state at Nationals. Students have been working since June to understand and defend the principles and foundations of American Constitutionalism and how it applies to their everyday lives. Students who are alumni of the EHS program are now working in the Executive Office of the White House, the US State Department, American Bar Association, the Irish Parliament, as interns at the WA State Legislature, as committee staff for the US Senate, and many are practicing attorneys or currently in law school. The 20 students and two teachers must raise $35,000 in order to compete at this level. Many fund-raisers are planned. To contribute to the cause please donate today at www.fundly.com/evergreen-we-the-people. women are more likely to die from breast cancer than women from other groups. “We do know that African American women, a lot of times young African Ameri- can women, are diagnosed with a more aggressive type of breast cancer,” says Toni Mountain, a 35-year breast cancer survivor who is Sur- vivor Programs Manager for the local Komen affili- ate. That more aggressive kind of breast cancer is called “Triple Negative,” because it’s estrogen negative, prog- esterin negative, and Her2 negative; it is unclear why Black women are dispro- portionately impacted by Triple Negative Breast Can- cer. “A lot of times, the target- ed chemotherapy does not respond well to this particu- lar type of breast cancer,” Mountain said. “As a result, African American women not only are diagnosed with a more aggressive breast cancer, but their mortality rate is much higher.” A big part of the Confer- ence this year is about getting the word out in Black communities around the need for regular cancer screenings and early detec- tion – including mammograms. Komen is working with the Sisters Network; also with Worship in Pink, a local awareness project by Kathy Kendrix, and area church congregations on outreach. “We are trying to make sure women they go to the physician for a high-quality breast exam so that these cancers can be detected early, because if you are detected early, with breast cancer, the five-year sur- vival rate right now is up to 99 percent,” Mountain says. Once breast cancer spreads to other parts of the body, the survival rate drops to 23 percent. Moreland is a founding member of the Sisters Net- work in Oregon & SW Washington. A national organization, the Sisters Network was started by Karen Eubanks Jackson, an 18-year breast cancer sur- vivor based in Texas. See KOMEN on page 11 February 26, 2014 The Portland and Seattle Skanner Page 9
