The month of October welcomes a season of change as the weather cools and leaves begin to brown but also includes another color, pink, for breast cancer awareness.
Oct. 1 – 31 is Breast Cancer Awareness month and is a time for education, recognition and remembrance.
School of Medicine Assistant Professor of Surgery Dr. Vijian Dhevan explains awareness means “it’s the beginning of the cure.”
“It’s a conglomerate of things; awareness of the disease process basically, Dhevan said. “It is one of the biggest concerns of us that we have because early detection means the possibility of curing.”
SOM Associate Professor of Pediatrics Dr. Scott Spear said awareness is also knowing family history.
“I think awareness is also asking your family ‘is breast cancer something that’s in our family?” Spear said. “Is ovarian cancer something that’s in our family?’ Those two are often linked genetically and so it’s good for people to find out a bit more about their family history.”
According to Dr. Dhevan, the month also serves as an opportunity to spread information and educate the public on the disease and how to detect it.
“This is month, it’s an opportunity for us to get in front of our fellow citizens and say ‘Hey! let’s not forget, let’s check ourselves,” said Dhevan. “Let’s be aware that this is out there.’”
Dr. Dhevan said that breast cancer is something that can affect men as well and adds that it’s important for men and women to self-examine regularly to detect when any changes occur.
“When we are in the shower, we can start just feeling when we’re soaping ourselves,” he said. “You know when you feel ‘hey, you know what this wasn’t there yesterday. What’s this?’ Be aware of what our body is.”
Director of Student Health Services Rick Gray said that while UTRGV does not offer diagnostic radiology tests such as mammograms, they do offer clinical breast exams at no cost to students.
“My staff at both the clinics will assess you and refer you to the person that can help,” Grey said.
Dr. Dhevan said people should not fear speaking with their doctors about their concerns.
“We should ask the questions, we should inquire because we go back to what I said at the beginning of this interview: early detection means cure,” he said, “and the other part about it, early detection may mean minimal surgery.”
To schedule an appointment at one of UTRGV’s Student Health Services clinics, visit onlinestudenthealth.utrgv.edu.
FOR VAQUERO NEWS, I’M JUSTIN ELIZALDE.
