Oncologist encourages women to get screened
WBY JASON COHEN ith breast cancer the
most common cancer
among women
and also the second
deadliest, one local doctor is
using Breast Cancer Awareness
Month to encourage
women to get screened.
Montefi ore medical oncologist,
Dr. Jesus Anampa spoke
with the Bronx Times about
the hospital’s latest breast
cancer research, an upcoming
screening event and how often
women should get screened.
According to Anampa, breast
cancer was once only thought
of something that affected
older women.
“The main message is for
people to get early detection,”
he said. “It’s a disease that can
affect a lot of people.”
As of January 2021, there
are more than 3.8 million
women with a history of
breast cancer in the U.S. This
includes women currently
being treated and women
who have been in treatment.
Anampa said that women between
the ages of 25 and 40
should have an annual clinical
breast examination. Additionally,
women 40 and older
should have an annual mammogram.
He said women who are uninsured,
lack knowledge about
breast cancer or English is not
their fi rst language, often do
not get screened enough.
“My message is that as
soon as people turn age 40
they must fi nd their primary
care doctor and get screened,”
he said.
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, O 20 CT. 15-21, 2021 BTR
Breast cancer is also
more prevalent among Black
women than any other racial
or ethnic group; Black women
have a 31% breast cancer mortality
rate. Evidence also suggests
that Black women have
a substantially higher risk of
experiencing chemotherapyinduced
neuropathy — nerve
damage typically resulting in
numbness, tingling, muscle
weakness and pain in the affected
area. Montefi ore and
Einstein hospitals are studying
why this is the case, including
looking at genotypes
of Black women to predict who
is more likely to suffer from
this side effect.
Because of this side effect,
Montefi ore has seen women
reducing chemotherapy doses,
which may also contribute to
why Black women may have
higher breast cancer recurrence
rates.
Currently, Montefi ore is
participating in a yearlong
national breast cancer study,
TMIST, where the hospital is
using 3D imaging for breast
exams to determine if this a
better technique than 2D.
“The biggest question is
can this image help in detecting
breast cancer?” Anampa
said. “This is very exciting
because this is the fi rst time,
we’re trying to test something
in such a large study.”
On Oct. 9, the hospital
hosted a free breast cancer
screening event. The event
featured breast exams and
pap smears for women 18
and older, mammograms for
women 40 and older, and women’s
health education and information.
“This is the kind of event
we need to have because some
people don’t have insurance,”
Anampa said.
Montefi ore Oncologist Dr. Jesus Anampa urges women to get screened for breast cancer. Photo courtesy Getty
Images