Dr. Edna Kapenhas, a breast surgeon at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital, a newly minted fellow of the American College of Surgeons, took an opportunity in the spotlight this week to deliver a crucial message: October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the 2020 edition of that annual celebration might be the most important.
In the midst of a pandemic, so many things are set aside temporarily — but breast health cannot be one of them. As Dr. Kapenhas noted, time is of the essence when it comes to breast cancer. Doctors have incredible abilities to find cancer at the earliest stages, when it can be effectively treated. But those measures only work when patients seek them out.
It’s important to continue self-exams and regular mammograms when appropriate, and patients who have any symptoms should not allow COVID-19 to deter them from a screening. It’s also notable that the Cancer Services Program of Suffolk County, which operates through Peconic Bay Medical Center in Riverhead, offers free screenings to uninsured women age 40 and older, both for breast cancer and cervical cancer. Follow-up tests are free, too, if needed, and the center will help find funding for treatment as needed.
Preventative care is so important, and it should not be put off, even in the midst of a pandemic.
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Staff Writer on Oct 20, 2020