Woman’s Clinic, American Cancer Society make strides for Breast Cancer Awareness

JACKSON, Tenn. — “Breast cancer currently affects one in eight females,” Brad Adkins, a physician with the Woman’s Clinic, said.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This Saturday the American Cancer Society is hosting the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk at the West Tennessee Healthcare Sportsplex.

“The whole day is just a party. We are here to celebrate, and the money saves lives,” Amy Morris, community development manager for American Cancer Society, said. “So it’s just a fun day to be together to know there’s hope from breast cancer.”

The Woman’s Clinic in Jackson is also raising awareness. They now have their Pink Ribbon Mammography division of the clinic. They have been doing mammograms on site for the past eight years, and now they can get results from those tests back to you the same day.

They say women over 40 should have a mammogram once a year. They should also do personal checks once a month.

“You’re feeling for things that feel different,” Lacinda Butler, women’s health nurse practitioner at the Woman’s Clinic, said. “The best time to do it is the week after their menstrual cycle, if they’re still having menstrual cycles.”

The Woman’s Clinic had their own 5K back in September that raised over $20,000 for breast cancer research. The American Cancer Society and the clinic say having survivors at these events helps those battling cancer right now.

“Someone that has cancer, they are able to communicate with other folks that have cancer and fellowship with people that’s going through the same struggle,” Dennis Dozier, the logistics coordinator for the walk, said.

They hope that these events encourage the women and let them know they are not alone.