Martha Roby: Highlighting national breast cancer awareness month
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an annual international campaign aimed at increasing awareness of the second most common cancer in women, with the goal of someday ending it entirely. Although deaths from breast cancer continue to fall, they’re declining at a slower rate than in previous years, and the number of cases we’re seeing is rising. It is very important that we take this valuable opportunity to talk about this dreaded disease and increase our knowledge on the topic. The American Cancer Society estimates that there will be more than 271,000 new cases of breast cancer this year alone, 99 percent of which will be diagnosed in women. Of course, risk factors like age and genetics cannot be avoided, but there are steps you can take to lower your own breast cancer risk, and most of them are related to maintaining good health in general. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly, and getting regular screenings if you are older than 40. Unfortunately, most of us have either faced a cancer diagnosis personally or been close to a friend or family member who has. Until we eradicate this terrible disease altogether, it is important to know about the resources available to those in the fight. Throughout my time in Congress, I have considered it a privilege to play in the Congressional Women’s Softball Game, a charity event benefiting the Young Survival Coalition (YSC). YSC aims to improve the quality of life for young adults affected by breast cancer. My team didn’t quite pull off a win during this year’s game, but I could not be prouder of what we accomplished. We raised more than $365,000 – a new record – to benefit YSC and their important mission supporting individuals battling breast cancer. A cancer diagnosis is certainly never easy, but organizations like YSC make it possible to navigate these challenging circumstances, and I am grateful for their work. During the month of October, I encourage you to increase your own awareness about breast cancer and the risks associated with the disease and tell your loved ones to do the same. As with many other forms of cancer, early detection is critical and saves lives. If you are currently battling breast cancer, please know that my prayers are with you. You can access valuable information by visiting www.cancer.org/cancer/breast-cancer.html. Martha Roby represents Alabama’s Second Congressional District. She lives in Montgomery, Alabama, with her husband Riley and their two children.
Martha Roby requests CMS review coverage options for breast cancer survivors
Alabama 2nd District U.S. Representative Martha Roby wants to allow breast cancer survivors to have the option to receive custom fabricated breast prosthetics after a mastectomy if they so choose. Roby sent a bipartisan letter with her house colleagues to Seema Verma, Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), on Monday requesting that CMS modify its coverage to make the allowance. As of now, CMS offers only two choices for women following a mastectomy: surgical breast reconstructive surgery or a prefabricated breast prosthetic. The latter have been described as shapeless, heavier than the normal breast, and both hot and cumbersome to wear. “Since October is designated as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we are reaching out to you on behalf of the many women who are living with breast cancer, survivors of breast cancer, and those who will be diagnosed in the future,” the letter read. We urge you to review and reconsider the Local Coverage Determination (LCD) L33317 as it relates to L8035 Custom Fabricated Breast Prosthesis.” The letter continued, “Unfortunately, CMS currently deems a custom fabricated breast prosthetic, which is significantly less expensive than reconstructive surgery and would be a custom fit to a woman’s unique body shape and needs, as not reasonable and necessary. Due to this reasoning, women seeking custom fabricated prosthetics have been denied coverage under Medicare and Medicaid… Therefore, we strongly urge you to modify your coverage determination…” Read the full letter below:
Jefferson Co. Commissioner, breast cancer survivor Sandra Little Brown highlights local breast cancer partnerships
Three years after Jefferson County Commissioner Sandra Little Brown fought her own battle with breast cancer and won, she’s still working to help increase awareness about the life-threatening disease. On Friday, she joined forces with St. Vincent’s Health System to host a community breakfast to highlight local partnerships that are doing their part in helping improve breast cancer awareness, research and care in the Birmingham metro area. Speakers at the event included: Veronica Wehby-Upchurch | Executive Diector of Susan G. Komen North Central Alabama Dr. Bo Xu | Chair of the Oncology Department at Southern Research Beth Bradner Davis | Executive Director of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama Susan Sellers | President of St. Vincent’s Foundation Caroline McClain | Manager of Forge Breast Cancer Survivor Center Brenna Powell | Chief Strategy officer at St. Vincent’s Health System. Local partnerships The program highlighted the work of Forge Breast Cancer Survivor Center, which is a collaboration between all Birmingham area hospitals, the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham, and other community partners. Forge’s creation was first announced in 2014. “This program brings together Birmingham’s wonderful healthcare resources with the goal of improving support and care for all people who have been diagnosed with breast cancer,” said Caroline McClain, manager of Forge Breast Cancer Survivor Center ahead of the event. “Forge works locally and in rural communities to remove barriers to care and gaps in service; navigate survivors and their families through diagnosis, treatment, and beyond; and support and educate healthcare professionals. Forge is constantly evolving to meet the ever-changing needs of survivors, their families, and the health systems. We are proud to provide exactly what they need, when they need it, and how they need it.” The event also highlighted two Birmingham-based entities: Southern Research and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama, that are working to advance knowledge and develop new therapies for breast cancer. Susan G. Komen’s North Central Alabama chapter discussed its work with local organizations and individuals to raise awareness about breast cancer, which is one of the most common cancers among U.S. women. Breast cancer facts The American Cancer Society estimates that 266,120 women across the country this year will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer and almost 41,000 will die from the disease. The Cancer Society estimates that 3,760 of those cases and 670 of those deaths will be in Alabama. Early detection and proper treatment can reduce the risk of dying from breast cancer. Over the past 20 years, progress in treatment and early detection has led to improved survival for people of all ages, races and stages of breast cancer. But experts say work remains to be done to ensure women are aware of the importance of regular screening and have access to tests that can find breast cancer early, when the chances of survival are highest. Increasingly, attention also has been focused on the importance of continued follow-up care even after breast cancer treatment has been completed. Survivors may need ongoing emotional support, and their treatment may leave them at higher risk of other conditions, such as heart disease, that require ongoing attention. “It’s exciting to see the work being done right here in our own community to meet all the needs – from raising basic awareness, to finding new treatments, to providing the best possible care over the long term,” said Brown. “There is more work to do, but we are making progress every day.”
Biotech firm Blondin to collaborate on breast cancer research project in Finland
A key executive for Blondin Bioscience LLC is a collaborator on a prestigious grant awarded by the Academy of Finland that will aid in the study of breast cancer therapies. Dr. Katri Selander, founder and chief scientific officer of the Birmingham-based biotech startup, is a collaborator on the three-year, $474,000 grant awarded to Dr. Johanna Tuomela, who is with the University of Turku, one of the largest universities in Finland. Tuomela studies the role of inflammasomes, a component of the innate immune system, and a protein called TLR9 in bisphosphonate responses in bone tissue and breast cancer. The grant may help identify patients who benefit most from bisphosphonates, a class of drugs that was initially used for osteoporosis but is now also used as adjuvant treatment in breast cancer. “Companies like Blondin are at the heart of Alabama’s emerging bioscience sector, and it’s exciting to see collaborations like this one that link our talented researchers with counterparts in Europe,” said Greg Canfield, secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce. Last month, Canfield led a bio-focused trade mission to Germany and Denmark that included Alabama universities and research organizations, along with Blondin and five other bioscience firms. Benefits of collaboration The breast cancer research project also could lead to new developments for Blondin, said Brad Spencer, the company’s chief executive officer.“Katri’s collaborative research with Dr. Tuomela is exciting, not just because of the potential therapeutic benefits for breast cancer patients, but also because Blondin can potentially develop a test to aid with the identification of patients that could benefit from the use of these old drugs,” he said. Blondin is based at the downtown business incubator Innovation Depot, which offers significant benefits for biotech firms. Selander brings notable experience to the project. A member of the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center, she has more than 20 years of lab experience with various pre-clinical cancer models. She also has authored 22 scientific papers on the role of TLR9 in cancer. Her research involves characterizing the molecular and cellular phenotype of the poor-prognosis low TLR9-triple negative breast cancer that her group discovered. She received an M.D. and a Ph.D. from the University of Oulu Medical School in Oulu, Finland. Potential for Blondin Selander also has clinical experience in oncology. It was this deep experience in the field that led to the 2011 founding of Blondin Bioscience, a molecular diagnostics company that most recently secured a grant under the National Institutes of Health (NIH) I-Corps program. The company is developing cancer treatment tests that sit at the intersection of evidence-based medicine and precision oncology. The NIH I-Corps award will support further development of the commercialization of FACT, Blondin’s rapid, accurate and precise blood biomarker test for quantifying cell-free telomeric DNA fragments in order to monitor the effectiveness of chemotherapy treatments. “It is possible that findings from this study with Dr. Tuomela will lead to the development of companion diagnostics tests within Blondin,” Selander said. “We are very happy for the success of Dr. Tuomela and enthusiastic about this collaboration.” This story originally appeared on the Alabama Department of Commerce’s Made in Alabama website. Republished with permission of Alabama News Center.
Real Men Wear Pink because we all have a part in Breast Cancer Awareness Month
In case you’ve been living under a rock and have missed all the pink, October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. There are events, runs, and fundraising efforts like the Real Men Wear Pink campaign happening not just throughout Alabama but across the nation. I’ve always been a little skeptical of the need for the in-your-face-style campaigns that seem more geared toward keeping public relation firms in business than to actual prevention or information, but this year that has changed. First the first time I get it. I’m joining the masses to promote awareness. No, that doesn’t mean I’ll be donning pink every day for the rest of the month, it means I’ll have real and honest discussions with my girlfriends about cancer. Until this year, I knew nothing about breast cancer. Last Christmas a relatively new friend, Ronda Walker, was diagnosed with the disease and I began following her journey to kicking cancer’s butt. If you haven’t read Ronda’s personal blog “Merry Christmas Cancer,” you’re missing out on one of the most uplifting and spirited women I’ve ever met. She’s penned some amazing content for our site too (like this post about Daughters Day). Beyond Ronda’s personal struggle with breast cancer it seems more people than I realized have been touched by the disease. In Jefferson County, Commissioner Sandra Little Brown frequently speaks of the struggle she faced fighting her own battle with cancer. In a recent interview with Over the Mountain Journal, Little Brown said, “I wish that everybody that went through what I went through could have that support that I had to help pull me through. I want to be able to give that same support to other women who are affected by this disease. One out of 8 women are and that’s too many.” Most recently David Magee, senior director of content for Alabama Media Group – a man (yes, you read that correctly) who I’ve met several times and who has a storied career in journalism, books and radio – posted on AL.Com that he too has recently been diagnosed with breast cancer. Reminding us amid the flurry of pink that men too have have a place in both education and awareness. Knowing friends affected, reading the statistics, and wearing a pink ribbon, however, doesn’t make us any more aware. I hope you take a moment to research the disease and talk to those you know who have or continue to be affected with it. Check out Cancer.org and look into your local chapter of the Cancer Society, The Birmingham Chapter, who are doing great things. In closing, I’ll leave you with this line from Ronda’s post from last week, I couldn’t say it any better myself: The problem: the misnomer of awareness. October became breast cancer awareness month in 1985 – 30 years ago – so it stands to reason we should all know a lot about the disease, right? Wrong! Wearing pink doesn’t make you aware of the reality of breast cancer any more than wearing a jersey makes you a football player. As I sit here in the midst of my breast cancer fight, I am astounded at all I did not know about breast cancer this time last year. By mid-October last year I was tired of seeing all of the pink, I was tired of hearing about mammograms, I was ready to move on to November. Little did I know at the time breast cancer was growing like wildfire in my body, spreading into my lymphatic system, ready to kill me. I was 42 years old when I was diagnosed and in spite of the 30-year-long awareness push I actually knew very little about breast cancer. From someone who has been in the game – who had her butt singed by the fires of hell and lived to tell about it – please let me make you a little more aware about breast cancer.
Ronda M. Walker: Breast cancer awareness and the fight of my life
A friend suggested I write an article on breast cancer awareness for the month of October. That made sense to me and seemed simple enough since I am in the midst of the fight of my life against stage 3-breast cancer. I grabbed my laptop and pounded out paragraph after paragraph only to delete them all. I have learned so much this past year about breast cancer, my mind is full, but for some reason the article would not come together. The problem: the misnomer of awareness. October became breast cancer awareness month in 1985 – thirty years ago – so it stands to reason we should all know a lot about the disease, right? Wrong! Wearing pink doesn’t make you aware of the reality of breast cancer any more than wearing a jersey makes you a football player. As I sit here in the midst of my breast cancer fight, I am astounded at all I did not know about breast cancer this time last year. By mid-October last year I was tired of seeing all of the pink, I was tired of hearing about mammograms, I was ready to move on to November. Little did I know at the time breast cancer was growing like wildfire in my body, spreading into my lymphatic system, ready to kill me. I was 42 years old when I was diagnosed and in spite of the thirty yearlong awareness push I actually knew very little about breast cancer. From someone who has been in the game – who had her butt singed by the fires of hell and lived to tell about it – please let me make you a little more aware about breast cancer. First, a lot of women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, roughly 1 in 8. That means many of you reading this article will one day be told you have the disease or your wife, sister, mother, or daughter will get the dreaded news. Also, this is not a disease that just hits older women. I was forty-two when I was diagnosed and I can name a dozen women in my circle of friends who were younger than me when they were diagnosed. Early detection of the disease can make the difference between life and death, so if you value your life do not put off your annual mammogram and do some self-checking between doctor visits. About 40,000 women in American will die from breast cancer this year, and mammograms and early detection are critical. Mammograms will not prevent cancer, but early detection can mean the different between life and death. Next, be aware that all breast cancer is not created equal. There are many different types of breast cancer, some much worse than others. And as with any cancer, there are several different stages at which breast cancer might be identified. So when someone tries to encourage me by saying, “I am a 20 year breast cancer survivor.” My first question to them is, “Tell me about your diagnosis.” If you find your breast cancer early and it is small and contained your chances at a long, healthy life are very good. However, if you are diagnosed, like I was, with a later stage cancer the prognosis is not always as cheery. Moreover, there are terms associated with breast cancer that perhaps you have never heard like triple negative, inflammatory, and estrogen receptor that change your course of treatment as well as your long-term prognosis. So please be aware that while all breast cancer is scary to deal with, all breast cancer is definitely not created equal. Yesterday I saw an old friend and she said to me, “So, all your cancer is gone now, that is wonderful!” And I have to admit that is what most people think, that doctors can make all the cancer go away with aggressive treatment. Please be aware – doctors can NEVER tell you that you are CANCER FREE! That is a pie in the sky myth that might help some people move on with their lives but it just ain’t true. Once you have endured cancer treatment a positron emission tomography (PET) scan will be done to determine if there is any apparent cancer remaining in your body. Please note the word apparent – no scan can see one single cancer cell lurking in the deepest recesses of your body. While you might not have any apparent cancer, you might very well have one little cancer cell hanging out, waiting to meet up with some friends and form a nice, big malignant tumor. So when your friend announces they are finished with treatment and received a good report from the PET scan that does not mean they are literally cancer free. It is not over for them, ever. Of course since all cancer is not created equal, if they just had a small, contained tumor the odds that they no longer have any cancer cells in their body are good. But even if they experience the best possible results from treatment, the reality is cancer could return any minute – and that is the terrifying reality they have to live with the rest of their lives. One person said to me, “If you have to have cancer, breast cancer is the best one to get.” Seriously? It is the second leading cancer killer in women behind lung cancer. If you are fortunate enough to survive the disease, you get to spend the rest of your life disfigured. In my case badly disfigured. Some people seem to think breasts are disposable since they serve no life-sustaining function like our heart, lungs, or kidneys. Please, be aware that having your breasts amputated brings with it a lifetime of physical and emotional pain that eclipses in one day the level of pain most people experience in the course of their entire lives. Don’t let the cheery pink commercialized month of October fool you; breast cancer is a harsh, debilitating killer.
Martha Roby to bat for Ronda Walker at annual Congressional Women’s Softball Game
U.S. Rep. Martha Roby announced Monday that she will be batting for Montgomery County Commissioner Ronda Walker at the seventh annual Congressional Women’s Softball Game. Walker will attend the game with Roby on June 24 at 6 p.m. (Eastern) at Watkins Recreation Center off the Eastern Market Metro in Washington, D.C. Walker was a district field staffer for Roby for several years before she was appointed by Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley to the Montgomery County Commission, and the two have remained close friends since. Ronda has been sharing her journey to fight breast cancer through her blog “Merry Christmas Cancer” and on her Facebook page since announcing her diagnosis just before Christmas. Last week she underwent surgery as part of her 3-step treatment process. “When Ronda told me in December that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer, my heart sank,” Roby said. “My first thought was about the difficult road ahead she and her family would face in fighting this terrible disease. But, her openness in sharing her story and her faith with friends and reporters alike has been inspiring. “Ronda is an incredible wife, mother and public servant. Her friendship has always been special and encouraging to me as a wife and mom in public service myself. Now, Ronda is fighting breast cancer, and she is inspiring so many throughout the community to keep their faith no matter what difficult circumstances they face. I am so awed by her strength and grace throughout this battle, and it’s an honor to play for my dear friend in this year’s Congressional Women’s Softball Game.” In the statement released Monday, Walker said, “I’m honored and excited to be a part of this special event. My diagnosis came as a very tough blow, not just for me, but for my husband and children as well. The first thing we did was set our focus on God; then we clung to our senses of humor, and geared up for the toughest experience of our lives. From the beginning, I have been determined to use this difficult time as a ministry to help others who are facing difficulties themselves. I’ve been open and honest about the days I was too sick or depressed to get out of bed as well as the good days that I received positive news or finished a treatment. I hope my transparency has been helpful.” Some background on the game from https://www.congwomensoftball.org/. The Congressional Women’s Softball Game began in 2009 with captains Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Rep. Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO), Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME). They brought together a team of women Members of Congress to play the female campaign staff from both parties after Debbie Wasserman Schultz announced her own battle with breast cancer. In 2010, the Members asked the women of the Washington, D.C. press corps to join the game as the opponent and a lasting rival was born.The Congressional Women’s Softball Game has raised more than $500,000 for Young Survival Coalition (YSC) each year and become a staple of Capitol Hill summer activities. YSC is the premier global organization dedicated to the critical issues unique to young women who are diagnosed with breast cancer. They offer resources, connections and outreach so women feel supported, empowered and hopeful.Breast cancer is something few young women ever think will happen to them– and certainly not at such an early age. When faced with a diagnosis, they may feel confused, angry and isolated. YSC is a place where women can go to find a circle of support and the best information available to navigate their treatment and their lives.
Prayers for Ronda Walker
Today we ask you to join us in keeping Montgomery County Commissioner Ronda Walker in your prayers as she recovers from a mastectomy she had Friday as part of the process to treat breast cancer. If you’ve been reading Alabama Today since it April 14 launch you’ve seen posts from Ronda, who has penned a few guest editorials for the site including in which she discussed her cancer diagnosis. Ronda was one of the first people I met when I moved to Alabama 2 1/2 years ago. She was working for U.S. Rep. Martha Roby at the time. My first impression was that she was a friendly, hardworking and kind woman. While she’s certainly all of those things I’ve come to learn there’s so much more to her, attributes that are a great example for not just women but all of us. What I’ve learned about Ronda since our initial introduction is that she is also brave, strong, loyal and funny. If you can be funny while facing cancer you can be funny anytime. I’ve cried while cracking smiles at the blogs and social media posts she’s written documenting her treatment, her transition into a wig (or wigs) and her treatments. Motherhood is hard. Yet Ronda has shown that even in times of great stress and chaos one can be an amazingly supportive and loving mother a bright example to women/mothers everywhere. In her blog “Merry Christmas Cancer” (aptly named with the terrible timing of her breast cancer diagnosis) she explains her diagnosis and treatment. I encourage you to follow her journey and lift not just her but also her family and loved ones up in prayer. We love you Ronda! If you’ve missed her previous post here you can find them again here: We launched our site with this post from her discussing her diagnosis and support she’d received: Ronda M. Walker: Honoring womanhood, politics with strength, compassion. Since then she’s written guest columns on the National Day of Prayer and the 908 Airlift wing and Maxwell Airforce base.
