32 THE QUEENS COURIER • BREAST CANCER • OCTOBER 14, 2021 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
breast cancer awareness
Jamaica Hospital physician reflects on cancer journey
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
CMOHAMEDSCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
QNS
When Dr. Sabiha Raoof, who is the chair of the
Radiology Department of Jamaica and Flushing
Hospital, discovered her own breast cancer
diagnosis when she did her fi rst mammogram
screening 16 years ago, she was in denial.
Raoof was 40 years old when she was
diagnosed with stage 1A breast cancer in
August of 2006. In stage 1A, the cancer
is evident, but it is contained to only one
area where the fi rst abnormal cells began
to develop, according to the National
Breast Cancer Foundation.
“I looked at my own mammogram and
diagnosed my cancer. As a mammographer,
I must’ve seen hundreds of cancers
until then, and seeing it myself, I said,
‘Am I reading it incorrectly?’ I had that
denial that it cannot be me,’” said Raoof,
who is also the chief medical offi cer of
the Medisys Health Network. “I have no
family history of breast cancer and I live
a pretty healthy and active lifestyle.”
As a physician, Raoof knew what
needed to be done following her diagnosis.
Th is time, she was on the other side of
the fence, being treated as a patient.
Raoof immediately took action and
scheduled a surgery undergoing a double
mastectomy to remove the cancer. She
then did reconstruction
surgery and went
through eight
cycles of chemotherapy
for
six months,
followed by
taking medication
and
visits to her
oncologist.
“I was glad
that my family
and friends
were able to guide
me and help me
make decisions
because everyone is
a physician,” Raoof
said. “I had a tremendous
amount of support. I knew
exactly where to look and
what I needed to do.”
Having
gone through the process of
being diagnosed with breast
cancer and treating the
disease, Raoof, who is
now 56, says it’s important
to stay positive
and strong throughout
the journey.
“The word cancer is so nerve wracking,
even as a physician when I initially
found my cancer. It was difficult to
grasp and digest that it’s happening to
me. No cancer is good, but if you have
breast cancer it is one of those diseases
that we have made a significant advancement
in treatment today,” Raoof
said. “I am not saying it’s easy. It does
take part of your life, but you have to
have an ‘I will beat this’ attitude
and move on with your life.’”
While she had a tremendous
amount of support from her
colleagues and family, Raoof
says she cannot imagine
how difficult it must be for
people outside of the healthcare
system to navigate those
services in order to receive
treatment.
Raoof stressed the importance
of women doing routine mammograms,
which can help save
lives, she said.
“Please go for your regular
mammogram checkups. I had
my routine physical and I did not
feel it. Neither did my physician,”
Raoof said. “Once you have the
diagnosis, stay strong and positive
and take all of the help that is out there
for you.”
Free mammogram screening event coming to Rockaway Beach library
BY ALICIA VENTER
EDITORIALQNS.COM
QNS
A free mammogram screening event
hosted by Assemblywoman Stacey Pheff er
Amato will be coming to the Peninsula Public
Library in Rockaway Beach in November.
Th e event will run on Nov. 10 from 9 a.m.
to 4:30 p.m. at the library, located at 92-25
Rockaway Beach Blvd. Registration by Oct.
20 is required for the screening, as walk-ins
will not be permitted. Th e screening is available
to those between the ages of 40 and 50
with health insurance or between the ages of
50 and 79 without health insurance. Th ose
who have had a mammogram within the
last 12 months are not eligible.
Registrants must currently be living in
New York City.
“Getting screened for breast cancer is so
important, and can truly save lives,” Pheffer
Amato said. “Early detection of this disease
can lead to much better outcomes, which is
why I’m happy to partner with the American
Italian Cancer Foundation to ensure that more
women can get screened. I encourage as many
women as possible to attend these events to get
screened and take control of your health.”
A mammogram is an X-ray of the breast,
and for many women it is the best way to
fi nd breast cancer early, according to the
CDC. Having a mammogram screening can
lower risk of dying from breast cancer.
To register for the Nov. 10 event, call 718-
945-9550 or email amatos@nyassembly.gov.
Photo courtesy of Jamaica Hospital
Dr. Sabiha Raoof, chair of the Radiology Department for Jamaica and Flushing Hospital.
Photo via Getty Images
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