University of Maryland Shore Regional Health will observe Breast Cancer Awareness month with various activities throughout the month of October, all aimed at increasing awareness of breast cancer and how it can be best detected, prevented and treated.
According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women. It is estimated that more than 246,000 women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in 2016.
Some of the planned activities at UM Shore Regional Health include the following:
- Pink Ribbon Hanging & Tree Lighting: Monday, October 10, 5pm, UM Shore Medical Center at Easton, front circle
Staff and volunteers from the Clark Comprehensive Breast Center – located at 10 Martin Court in Easton – will hang pink ribbons in honor of those patients treated by the Center in the past year. These ribbons will be hung on the large tree in the front circle at UM Shore Medical Center at Easton. A public ribbon ceremony will be held on Monday, October 10 at 5pm. The tree will serve as a month-long reminder of the friends, neighbors and loved ones whose lives have been touched by breast cancer. This tree will be lit with pink lights throughout the month.
- Breast Cancer Awareness and Outreach Events
During the month of October, the outreach staff of the Clark Comprehensive Breast Center will be offering information about early detection of breast cancer at various locations throughout Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot counties.
- Tuesday, October 4, 9am-12pm, UM Shore Medical Pavilion at Queenstown, 125 Shoreway Drive;
- Thursday, October 6, 8am-2pm, Diagnostic and Imaging Center, 10 Martin Court, Easton;
- Monday, October 10, 11am-1pm, UM Shore Medical Center at Easton, Cafeteria, 219 S. Washington Street, Easton;
- Wednesday, October 12, 8am-11am, ChoiceOne Urgent Care Easton – A Partner of UM Shore Regional Health, 28522-C Marlboro Avenue, Easton;
- Monday, October 17, 11am-1pm, UM Shore Medical Center at Dorchester, Cafeteria, 300 Byrn Street, Cambridge;
- Monday, October 24, 11am-1pm, UM Shore Medical Center at Chestertown, 100 Brown Street, Chestertown. Information will also be provided by the Eleanor and Ethel Leh Women’s Center.
- Tuesday, October 25, 8am-11am, ChoiceOne Urgent Care Denton – A Partner of UM Shore Regional Health, 8 Denton Plaza, Denton.
- Breast Cancer Support Groups, all locations:
- Chestertown: Cancer Support Group meets the fourth Monday of every month, 7pm-9pm, at the Education Center, UM Shore Medical Center at Chestertown. For more information call 410-778-7668, ext. 2175 or email Nelson@umm.edu.
- Easton: The CARES Breast Cancer Support Group meets the fourth Tuesday of every month, 6-7:30pm, at the Cancer Center, UM Shore Regional Health, 509 Idlewild Avenue, Easton. For more information call 410-820-6800.
- Special Groups:
- Look Good, Feel Better: This is a free American Cancer Society (ACS) program open to all women with cancer and is held on the third Monday every month, 10am-noon, at the Cancer Center, UM Shore Regional Health, 509 Idlewild Avenue, Easton. The program offers tips for hair care, skin care and make-up, samples, and access to the Wig Room. For more information about this group, call 410-822-1000, ext. 5355.
- Survivors Offering Support (SOS) program: A unique program that pairs women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer with trained volunteer mentors. Because SOS mentors are breast cancer survivors themselves, they can offer emotional support and insight to patients facing the same diagnosis, making the breast cancer journey an easier one to navigate. If you are in need of support or would like to become a mentor and would like more information, call Edla Coleman, SOS coordinator, at 410-822-1000, ext. 7155 or by e-mail at ecoleman@umm.edu.
UM Shore Regional Health offers an array of breast health services throughout the five-county region. In June, the organization celebrated the grand opening and ribbon cutting of the Clark Comprehensive Breast Center. The expansion was part of a $6.5 million renovation project at the Diagnostic and Imaging Center in Easton, which also encompassed the laboratory and imaging spaces within the facility. The Breast Center was named in recognition of a $5 million gift from The Clark Charitable Foundation, a private philanthropic organization funded by the A. James Clark Family.
Services offered at the Clark Comprehensive Breast Center are provided by Dr. Roberta Lilly, Center medical director and breast surgeon, Dr. Susan Forlifer, breast surgeon – who joined the Center this past July – and a multidisciplinary team, who work together to provide consultation, diagnostics, treatment and support services to the women – and men – throughout the region who are facing a breast cancer diagnosis. In addition to the diagnosis and treatment of benign and malignant breast disease, the Clark Comprehensive Breast Center offers telemedicine genetic counseling services and the Wellness for Women program, a breast screening program that promotes early detection of breast cancer.
Patients of the Clark Comprehensive Breast Center have access to diagnostic services including digital mammography with Tomosynthesis, ultrasound, breast MRI and biopsies. The Clark Center is adjacent to Shore Regional Health’s Cancer Center, providing patients in need of breast cancer treatments with a more convenient, comprehensive treatment approach. Breast health services are also offered at the Eleanor and Ethel Leh Women’s Center, located at Shore Medical Center at Chestertown, and at Shore Medical Pavilion at Queenstown.
For more information about breast health and diagnostic services available throughout the region, visit www.umshoreregional.org.