October 11, 2017 The Skanner Page 9
Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Cheryl Holloway Releases
‘The Black Woman’s Breast
Cancer Survival Guide’
Understanding Genetic Differences
Between Breast Cancer Tumors is Key to
Better Treatment
C
By Jonathan Rennhack and Jing-Ru
Jhan, Michigan State University
heryl
Holloway,
PhD, and program
director for the
Bachelor of Science
in Public Health program
at South University in
Novi, Michigan, is a two-
time breast cancer sur-
vivor whose book, “The
Black Woman’s Breast
Cancer Survival Guide,
Understanding and Heal-
ing in the face of a Na-
tionwide Crisis” was just
published by Praeger,
ABC-CLIO.
Holloway also teaches
courses on women and
minority health issues
and public health and
wellness. When she was
diagnosed with breast
cancer, Holloway discov-
ered that Black women
have a higher risk than
women of other races
and ethnicities for ag-
gressive forms of breast
cancer that can occur
before a woman’s 40th
birthday. In fact, Hollo-
way was first diagnosed
with breast cancer when
she was 39 years old.
A long-time volunteer
for the American Can-
cer Society and a fervent
supporter of mammo-
grams for women, Hol-
loway decided to inves-
tigate how breast cancer
affects Black women. As
a Black woman herself,
she understands that
some women are fearful
of the health care system
and reticent about ask-
ing questions. Yet Black
women urgently need an-
swers so they can obtain
the best treatments for
their diagnosis, whatev-
er type of breast cancer
they may have. Holloway
B
discovered that some
Black women likely don’t
obtain
mammograms
or cancer treatment be-
cause cancer centers are
far from their homes
and they may not realize
transportation help is
available. She also dis-
covered some women are
fatalistic about their can-
cer, refusing to receive
treatment. Holloway says
simply that God made on-
cologists to help women
with breast cancer.
This book is available
for purchase at Amazon.
com.
Red Cross Urges Public to Support Cancer
Patients by Giving Blood
M
ary Alice Donofrio gave blood
for the first time in memory of
her mother who received sever-
al blood transfusions while be-
ing treated for breast cancer. “I had no
idea what to expect, but the experience
was very easy and quite rewarding.
Ever since then, I try and give blood as
often as I can, and every time it gives
me a good feeling in my heart. It is so
nice to know that taking just an hour or
so out of my day can help save the lives
of others.”
According to the American Cancer
Society, nearly 1.7 million new cases of
cancer are expected in the U.S. this year.
Breast cancer is the most common can-
cer among women, with nearly 253,000
women expected to be diagnosed in
2017. Cancer patients may need blood
products during chemotherapy, sur-
gery or treatment for complications.
To sign up to donate blood, you can
download the American Red Cross
Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.
org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-
2767) to make an appointment or for
more information. All blood types are
needed. A blood donor card or driver’s
license or two other forms of identifi-
cation are required at check-in. Indi-
viduals who are 17 years of age (16 with
parental consent in some states), weigh
at least 110 pounds and are in generally
good health may be eligible to donate
blood. High school students and oth-
er donors 18 years of age and younger
also have to meet certain height and
weight requirements.
Blood and platelet donors can save
time at their next donation by using
RapidPass® to complete their pre-dona-
tion reading and health history ques-
tionnaire online, on the day of their
donation, from a computer or mobile
device. To get started and learn more,
visit redcrossblood.org/RapidPass and
follow the instructions on the site.
reast cancer is not a single dis-
ease. It is in fact, a collection of
genetic changes that all lead to
the same outcome: a tumor in
the breast.
This means that breast cancer pa-
tients can’t be treated with identical
therapies. Instead, therapy must be
tailored to the underlying genetic
changes that causes the tumor. To do
this, physicians can look at a tumor’s
genetic markers, which are called bio-
markers. Looking at these biomarkers
helps oncologists choose the treat-
ment that is most likely to be effective
in a particular tumor.
Based on her tumor’s biomarkers,
a breast cancer patient could receive
hormone therapy, targeted therapy
or chemotherapy as her treatment
See TREATMENT on page 10
