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Cancer survivor: Pursue screening for yourself By BILL VARBLE Judi Johnston says trusting your doctor is fine, but when it comes to breast cancer, it's not enough. A woman must pursue her breast cancer screening until she - and not just her doctor - is satisfied. Johnston, 58, of Ashland, is a breast cancer survivor, retired registered nurse, health educator and a member of Women Alive, a Rogue Valley breast cancer support and education group. She just returned from the National Breast Cancer Coalition advocacy conference in Washington, D.C., where much of the latest research in the field was presented. "Researchers were saying you can't be comfortable just having a mammogram," Johnston says. "In order to eradicate breast cancer, women must be proactive in their own health care and commit to helping other women." While it's long been known that the best chance of surviving breast cancer depends on an early diagnosis, Johnston says researchers stressed that women should have: A knowledgeable, monthly self-examination. After age 40, a yearly breast exam by a professional trained in diagnosis and mammography. Ultrasound for younger women and those with dense breast tissue. Johnston says that while mammograms save lives, they may miss 20 to 30 percent of tumors. Fibrocystic and dense breast tissue may make mammography difficult. Ultrasound is a sometimes overlooked option for dense breasts. "It should be used more," Johnston says. While obtaining a breast diagnosis can be tedious and time-consuming, Johnston says groups such as Women Alive can help women navigate the web of care and providers. They may find caregivers and tests at reduced cost or even free. Johnston says there is a lot of misinformation in the field. While breast cancer rates are climbing, 95 percent of breast lumps turn out to be benign. On the other hand, more than 200,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year. About 40,000 will die this year, nearly the number of Americans killed in the Vietnam War. Although it's true that having a mother, sister or daughter with breast cancer nearly doubles a woman's risk, 95 percent of women with breast cancer have no family history of the disease. Johnston was 54 when she was diagnosed. She says life is never the same after a woman hears the words, "it's malignant." Her diagnosis left her shocked and confused despite a career as a nurse and health educator. "Total strangers are asking us to process information in a foreign language and to make decisions we are not prepared to make," she says. While riding the disease's emotional roller coaster, she studied the facts, surfed the Net, made appointments, learned the language, chose specialists, told her boss, prepared her family - all while trying to sleep, keep control and pray. Finally, with the help of a breast cancer activist, she gathered records, chose a medical team, developed a plan and chose a treatment protocol. She found taking an active approach to the disease energizing. Johnston says that breast cancer brings stages of adjustment. After the initial shock, followed by the treatment, many women experience depression and a letdown. "This is the stage where the most profound and positive adjustments occur," she says. Priorities may change, she says. Trivia may fall away, and faith and perspective deepen. Women Alive has started a cancer library of several hundred books at the Providence Cancer Center and has volunteers ready to help patients and their families navigate thousands of medical Web sites. "Women can change the standard of care," she says. "They are turning it around all over the country." She says above all, women must not accept counsel of, "Let's just watch it for a while." "Don't be embarrassed," she says. "Trust your instincts." Reach reporter Bill Varble at 776-4478 or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.