Page 115 - South Mississippi Living - October, 2023

reduction and cancer prevention. At Singer River, her team
has incorporated genetic testing and preventative medicine into treatment plans. When a patient is identified to be at high risk for developing breast cancer, they may qualify for treatment with cancer-preventive medications such as raloxifene, tamoxifen, exemestane, and arimidex.
You may recognize that these drugs are used to treat those who already have breast cancer. So why treat people with medications used in treating those with a positive breast
cancer diagnosis? The correlating factor is estrogen. Some breast cancers use estrogen to grow. Estrogen can speed up the growth of estrogen-positive cancer cells. Per the Mayo Clinic, tamoxifen and raloxifene decrease the effects of estrogen in the body, including the breasts, by blocking estrogen receptors and stopping cancer growth. Exemestane and arimidex work by reducing the amount of estrogen produced in the body. These meds are given in pill form for an average of about five years. The choice of the type of medicine to prescribe will vary based on risk factor assessment, age, and whether the patient has entered menopause.
Patients with genetic mutations can have an exceptionally high risk of developing breast cancer. Those with a genetic
predisposition, like those who carry the BRCA gene, are often referred for a bilateral mastectomy. Preventive bilateral breast removal was first popularized by actress Angelina Jolie when told by her doctors that she carried the BRCA 1 gene and had an 87 percent chance of developing breast cancer. Getting tested for BRCA genes is relatively easy, depending on your health insurance type.
As Dr. Washington reminds us, the best cure for breast cancer is prevention by accessing your risk factors, being aware of the symptoms, and seeing your doctor.
SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living | www.smliving.net
October 2023 | 115