Carter
from page Al
?
tipn. The five-year cancer sur
vival rate for African American
women is 71 percent. For white
wpmen, that figure is almost 90
percent.
; This year more than 18,000
new cases of breast cancer will
bp diagnosed in the African
American community. Six thou
sand black women will die of
breast cancer in 1999.
| Those are facts Carter never
thought about.
! "1 would see things about
bfeast cancer on television," she
said. "I heard all of those num
bers, but I just didn't thipk
about it.". '
Carter's odyssey began dur
ing a routine checkup in late
1997. Her doctor asked if she'd
had a breast exam. Carter's
apswer was a resounding "no."
Walter Ezeigbo, Carter's
physician, actually made an
appointment for a mammogram
for Carter and followed up with
her to make sure she kept it.
Ezeigbo says his days are
filled with women in their 40s
who have never had a breast
exam or mammogram.
"It's almost a tug of war - a
constant battle - telling women
they need to have mammograms
and that they need to do their
exams," Ezeigbo said. "Some of
them even think that by having a
mammogram they can induce
cancer in their breast. That's a ,
fear they have. What I really try
to do is> destroy the stereotypes
people have about screening for
cancer."
Ezeigbo says a second chal
lenge doctors face is convincing
black women that they need to
take time to care for themselves.
Often black women are
stretched almost to the breaking
point, caring for their families
and others. Medical care for
themselves takes a back seat.
At one time Carter felt the
same way. Now she gets angry
when she hears women say they
don't have the time or the money
for,doctors appointments.
"I have a hard time now con
vincing women that it's worth it
to spend money on doctors if
they're not sick," she said. "I
used to be like that too. But
what I tell people is that you're
worth S200 a year. You're worth
much more than that."
Lack of preventive care is
one reason why black women
may not fare as well as white
women in their treatment. Often
the cancer is detected later when
it's more difficult to treat.
"The main reason we have a
tough time dealing with so many
types of cancer is that we don't
access medical care very early,"
Ezeigbo said. "Most of the time
when cancer is diagnosed in our
women, it's usually very late.
That decreases the chance of
them doing very well."
Early detection often increas
es a patient's chance for survival.
The American Cancer Society
recommends that women over
age 20 conduct a monthly breast
self-exam following the comple
tion of the menstrual cycle to
check for irregularities in the
breast.
"I think it's important that
doctors have an interest and
realize (they) have a role to
play," Ezeigbo said. "Your job as
a physician is to provide your
patients with enough informa
tion to make an informed deci
sion. Whether I've been seeing a
patient for five years or whether
it's the first time I'm meeting
them, it's something I bring up.
I don't wait for them to bring it
up."
And two years later Carter is
glad he did.
"Cancer really taught me to
value the right things," she said.
"I take care of myself better
now. I just don't want anyone
else to have to go through what I
did to realize that they matter."
Tips for early detection
? The most common sign of
breast cancer is a lump in the
breast or armpit. Other symp
toms include clear or bloody dis
charge from the nipples,
swelling, skin irritation or dim
pling; and nipple pain, scaliness
or inversion.
? In addition to the self
examination, the ACS recom
mends regular clinical examina
tions and mammograms every
one to,, two years and annually
for women over 40. These X-ray
screenings are useful for finding
tumors that cannot be felt.
? Although breast cancer in
women under 40 is rare, the
National Cancer Institute rec
ommends that younger women
who have higher risk consult
their doctors about getting
screened before age 40.
? Ezeigbo recommends
women over the age of 18 com
plete monthly breast self-exami
nations.
"Always check yourself at the
same time each month," he said.
"That's the only way you're actu
ally going to find what your
breast feels like normally."
Ezeigbo added that women
should use the pads of their fin
gers rather than their fingertips
during the examination.
"The pads are more sensi
tive," he said.
? The Breast Cancer Coali
tion of Winston-Salem/Forsyth
County will celebrate National
Mammography Day on Oct. 15
from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. at Hanes
Mall. Experts will be on hand to
provide information about
breast cancer and early detec
tion.
The Chronicle
News
Deadline is
Monday at
5 p.m.
"Golden"
occassion
1
Photos by T. Kevin Walker
As part of its 50th Anniversary Celebration, The Arts
Council provided birthday cake to hundreds of people
last week at Bellsouth Friday Night Jan. Mayor Pro
Tern Vivian Burke also presented David Hudson, presi
dent of The Arts Council, with a special citation from
the city.
Letters
frampttgeA6
lems are often caused by our atti
tudes, attempts at manipulation,
and certainly by procrastination. I
look askance at the idea that there
is little for which to apologize.
1 I couldn't agree more with
Martin when he says, "We must
expect high achievement from all
our students." I know from experi
ence in the classroom that teachers
get very much of what they expect
from students. High expectations
should be the norm. I am dis
mayed, however, by the mindset of
some teachers and administrators
when they have lower expectations
for so-called minorities, denying
them the love, attention and edu
cation they deserve.
It should be pointed out that in
the very near future America will
not have a majority of any race or
group. We will be a nation of
. minorities. This calls for a re-eval
uation of our goals and motives
and priorities. Consequently, lets
get over busing and neighborhood
schools and get on with teaching
just children. We have lost one
generation by failure to educate,
and we can't wait until the present
generation reaches adulthood and
is able to buy a house in our sub- ?
urban neighborhoods in order to
integrate our schools. That is "pie
in the sky by and by" if I ever
heard it.
We should alter the present
program to fit the present situation
and needs. Let us make it happen
in our classrooms today. After all,
in the long run, whatever is going
to happen will happen in the class
room. Diversity there should be
our strength, not our fear.
Virginia Sams
Winston-Salem
To the Editor:
Schools and communities
across the country will celebrate
The Month of the Young Adoles
cent in October. I encourage all
citizens in Forsyth County to join
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County
Schools in drawing special atten
tion to the academic and develop
mental needs of our 10- to 15
year-old students.
This time in a young person's
life p one of the most critical peri
ods in his or her development and
perhaps the last best chance to
shape a life. All of us - educators,
parents and others in the commu
nity - must work together to help
them succeed academically, while
helping them understand their
changing social needs.
The Month of the Young Ado
lescent has four major objectives:
? The importance of parents
being knowledgeable about young
adolescents and being actively
involved in their lives.
? The understanding that
healthy bodies and healthy minds
equal healthy young people.
? The realization that the edu
cation young adolescents experi
ence during this time will, in large
measure, determine the future for
all citizens.
? The knowledge that every
adolescent should have the oppor
tunity to pursue her or his dreams
and aspirations.
Our children are, indeed, our
future. Please join us in celebrating
and honoring The Month of the
Young Adolescent.
Gregory Thornton
Assistant Superintendent,
Middle Schools
To the Editor:
I commend you on your cover
age of the log raising ceremony for
St. Philips Moravian Church in
Old Salem on Sept. 25.
This ceremony raised aware
ness of the monumental, historical
event of 1823 when 30 slaves
embarked upon establishing the
first African Moravian Church.
This continues to show that
Africans and African Americans
have and are still contributing to
many aspects of American main
stream life. For several decades,
our contributions have been
excluded from history books and
even now are undermined by a
society that refuses to accept the
fact that we are not criminals, wel
fare candidates and general bur
dens on an otherwise exclusionary
system. The coming together of
the 30th District of North Caroli
na Prince Hall Masons and Mora
vian officials illustrated a commit
ment to preserving this historical
site and highlights that despite
popular beliefs we are represented
in more venues than just simple
social clubs and trivial pursuits.
Also, thanks go to Mel White,
the African American program
director at Old Salem. Hopefully,
our community will continue to
support Mr. White s efforts to shed
light on the history of African
Americans in Old Salem and
Happy Hill communities.
As well, we need to recognize
our heritage and continue to bring
to the forefront the positive contri
butions of African Americans to
the welfare and benefit of the Win
ston-Salem community at large.
Jerry C. Hins on.
Past Master, Olympic Lodge
No. 795, 314 Elm Drive
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